Tree Survey & Inspection

See also pages for:    Tree Consultancy, Identification

News Items

• 09/07/2008: The British Standards Institute has drafted BS8516 - Recommendations for tree safety inspections and has made the document available for public consultation until 31st July 2008.  At the BSI webpage, you are asked to register for free (takes a minute).  You can then make comments about the Standard online, and propose changes to the text.

   

  The draft Standard includes sections on timing, prioritisation and frequency of inspections, definitions of terms, data to be included in reports, quantifying risks and legal considerations for tree owners.

• 3/5/02:  DEFRA:  Oak Disease Alert. A ban on imports of plants from parts of the USA and added controls on wood will be imposed by the government to protect native trees and shrubs from a potential new disease.   Link to DEFRA Pests & Diseases Section.

Articles & Definitions

• Arboricultural Implication Study (AIS)
• Arboricultural Method Statement
• ArborCAD
• AutoCAD
• BS5837 Resource Page
• Computer Aided Design (CAD)
• Estimating the Age of Large Trees
• Ivy
• Laser Measure   
• Lightening Strikes & Trees
• TEMPO  (TPO evaluation system)
• THREATS  (Tree condition evaluation system)
• TreeAZ (development site survey system)
• Tree Inspection
• Tree Pollards

Publications

• The Body Language Of Trees: A Handbook for failure analysis by C.Mattheck and H.Breloer.
• Circular 52/75 - Inspection of Highway Trees. (1975). Department of the Environment
• Principles of Tree Hazard Assessment and Management by David Lonsdale.
• Tree Surveys: A Guide to Good Practice. Booklet.
• Amenity Valuation of trees and woodlands. Booklet.
• Fungal Strategies of Wood Decay in Trees by F Schwarze, J Engels & C Mattheck.
• Guide for Plant Appraisal (9th Edition). System for evaluating the value of a standing tree. Book.
• Manual of Wood Decays in Trees.
• Recognising Tree Hazards. Leaflet. Order direct from ISA.
• The Evaluation of Hazard Trees in Urban Areas, 2nd Edition (A Photographic Guide). Book. Order direct from ISA.
• Assessment of Tree Condition by J. Innes. Field Book 12. Forestry Commission. ISBN 0-11-710283-0.
• Tree age assessment. ARIN 137/97. AAIS
• Detection of decay in trees. ARIN 144/98.AAIS
• Detection of decay with particular reference to the shigometer. First Published 1980. ARN 18/87.
• Hazard tree evaluation - the role of mechanics in. ARIN 127/94.AAIS
• Summer Branch drop. First Published 1979. ARN 11/89.AAIS.
• BS5930 - Code of practice for site investigations. British Standards Institution
• Plant Disease. Book. David Ingram & Noel Robertson.

• Arbosonic Decay Detector. Ultrasonic detection.
• Fractometer. Measures bending strength of wood samples.
• Digital MicroProbe & DDD200. Decay detection drills.
• Increment Borers. Tool to obtain wood core samples.
• Picus Sonic Tomograph. Sound Detection Device
• Portable Compression Meter. Measures compressibility of the wood.
• Resistograph. Decay detection drill.
• Shigometer       Decay detection by measuring electrical resistance
• Stress Wave Timer. Electronic Impulse Hammer.
• TreeRadar

Videos

• Tree Health Management: Evaluating Trees for Hazard. Video 3. Order direct from ISA.

Web Sites

• DEFRA Pests & Diseases Section.
• Tree Advice Trust (AAIS)
• The Arboricultural Association
• The International Society of Arboriculture
• Tree Inspection - Robert Williams
• The Postcode Plants Database, The British Museum. Type in a UK postcode and a list of recorded trees and other plants for that area, are displayed.

Journal Extracts (see AIE Abbreviations for abbreviations and links)

• Brace rods for codominant stems: Installation location and breaking strength. JA - Vol:26 -  No:3 - May 2000
• Computerised topographic investigations of street and park trees.       AJ - Vol:19 -  No:4 -  Nov 1995
• Detection of decay in trees.      AJ - Vol:23 -   No:2 -  May 1999
• Detection and evaluation of incipient decay.    AJ - Vol:20 -   No:1 -  Feb 1996
• Defects in trees and the legal implications.    AJ - Vol:20 -   No:2 -  May 1996
• Defects - using high technology to assess.   JA - Vol:24 -  No:6 - Nov 1998      
• Diagnosis. Tips for better plant diagnosis.  AN - Vol 9 - No:4 Aug 2000
• Fractometer - assessment of angle in 25 tree species.   JA - Vol:25 -  No:2 - March 1999
• GI and GPS for tree management.   JA - Vol:25 -  No:3 - May 1999
• GIS to assess urban tree canopy benefits/distribution.   JA - Vol:25 -  No:2 - March 1999
• Hazardous trees - techniques for dealing with.    AJ - Vol:19 -  No:3 -  Aug 1995
• Mechanical survival strategy of trees.     AJ - Vol:22 -   No:4 -  Nov 1998
• Resistograph - reading the results.       AJ - Vol:21 -  No:4 -  Nov 1997
• Resistograph and the Shigometer - combined use.  AJ - Vol:23 - No:3 -  Aug 1999 
• Structural failures in urban trees - patterns of.   JA - Vol:25 -  No:1 - Jan 1999
• Tree risk assessment.    AJ - Vol:20 -  No:1 -  Feb 1996
• Wound reactions of differently treated bore holes.   JA - Vol:25 -   No:3 - May 1999

Publication Extracts (books, handbooks & bulletins)

• Tree hazards.  Page 317.  Modern Arboriculture by Alex Shigo.  Book. ISBN 0-943563-09-7.
• Recent advances in detection of wood decay by D. Seaby. Chapter 21.  Research for Practical Arboriculture 1991.  Bulletin 97. Forestry Commission. ISBN 0-11-710297-0.
• Site Investigations - The Tree. Chapter 14. Tree Root Damage to Buildings by P Biddle. 1998. ISBN 0-9533086 0-X. 
• Spot the Rot. Short article discussing decay-detection devices.  Horticulture Week, May 24th 2001.
• Decay & Safety. Section 5. Diagnosis of ill-health in trees by R. Strouts & T. Winter. ISSN 1352 8238.
• Wind of Change. Short article discussing how the effects of climate change may change our planting, maintenance, consulting industry.  Horticulture Week, Nov 30th 2000.

Tools & Equipment (see lists below for links to suppliers)

• Clinometer 
• Computer Aided Design
• Diameter Tape.
• Increment Borer
• Laser Measure   
• Plastic Mallet.
• Tally Counter.
• Tree Tags
• WeatherWriter 

• ArborCAD   Tree plotting software
• CAD Computer aided design
• Fujikura Europe Ltd.    Treebase/GPS tree management system.
• Innogistic
• WoodPlan Software. Urban Tree Software, Email: info@woodplan.com

Links for Equipment & Services  

• Charterhouse/Richmond. Stockist of Increwment Borer's etc.
• Fujikura Europe Ltd.    Tree decay detection equipment and electronic tree survey equipment.
• IML  Arborist decay detection tool supplier.
• Microscopy UK.   Site for news, advice and information on microscopes.
• York Survey Supply Centre.    Survey equipment, tree tags, measuring wheels etc.
• British Geological Survey   Suppliers of Geological maps of the UK
• Ordnance Survey   Suppliers of geographical maps of the UK
• Tree Tech Consulting    This link takes you directly to the tree shadow locator page where you can request to down load a program which allows you to calculate the length of tree shadows at a given time of day.
• Van Walt Ltd. UK based, mail order, soil sampling tools, analyser etc. Tel. 01428 661660  Fax. 01428 656808
• VIP. UK based. Weatherwriter™, waterproof writing boards, paper, pens etc.Mail order. Tel. 01473 890285  Fax. 01473 890764
• Sibert Technology Ltd. Guildford, UK. Manufacturer of Sibtec Microprobes. Decay detection drills.
• Survey Supply Ltd. Measuring Wheels etc. UK based, mail order. Tel. 0151 931 3161
• Speke Rubber Co. Tested Safety Gloves 4000v. UK based, mail order. Tel. 0151 228 2822
• Greenham Trading Ltd. UK based, mail order, general tools, measuring wheels, PPE etc.

AIE Links

• Link back to Subject Index, Tree Consultancy, Identification

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