Seminar #94 from Online Seminars for Municipal Arborists
April - June 2022
Sections Go directly to the section by clicking on the title below
April - June 2022
Sections Go directly to the section by clicking on the title below
Note: Click on green text in each section for more information and photos.
Trees and The Local Environment
By Geoffrey Juden
Chairman, The East London Garden Society
By way of background, in the U.K. there are 3 grades of tree protection: 1) A tree protection order (T.P.O.) is granted at a local authority's wish, and as such is subject to their whim; 2) a Veteran Tree is subject to national legislation, however it may still be felled should the local authority maintain certain health criteria; and 3) an Ancient Tree is decreed at a national level, owing to age and there has to be strong reasons for felling.
I first became concerned with our local environment when trees were disappearing without our knowledge. Many years ago in Meath Gardens, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Council sent in the tree fellers, stating that the Garden's trees were diseased. Fortunately, the local residents learnt of the proposed fate. They arranged their own tree report which stated the opposite and the trees and gardens were saved.
The Limehouse Triangle
Recently, a group of residents from Limehouse Triangle were concerned that their nature reserve was to be turned into a building site. They had little experience of what to do or how to go about defending their space and at the end, I was informed of the situation after 18 trees had been felled.
The Tower Hamlets city government insisted that the building works were to go ahead on the Limehouse Triangle despite no ecology report being undertaken. There was no consultation with local residents until after the scheme had been agreed. Tower Hamlets broke many environmental laws concerning protected species and the necessary protections for a nature reserve. In April 2019, Tower Hamlets stated that it was a simple choice of homes or trees, ignoring the fact that both could be achieved. The residents eventually won and the trees were saved.
The Bethnal Green Mulberry Tree
The Bethnal Green Mulberry Tree is 600 years old, dating back to Henry VIII, and lives in a conservation area in Bethnal Green. When the National Health Service (NHS) vacated the Bethnal Green Chest Hospital it was deemed by the NHS that the area should be developed. This is not disputed.
However, when a developer plans to build more accommodations and the natural environment is at risk, the developer must file a tree protection order (TPO).
The Bethnal Green Mulberry Tree is an icon of the area, known and loved by many. It therefore became a symbol of development versus the environment.
Tower Hamlets passed the planning application for the area against the wishes of the majority. Firstly, the Bethnal Green Mulberry Tree had to go in order to placate the developers. In addition, eleven protected trees and 27 non-protected trees were also to be felled.
The campaign began to protect this urban environment and funds were raised by neighbouring residents. Tower Hamlets acted erroneously in passing the plan as not all the correct information was given to the planning committee, and when planning is approved, I understand that this became law.
After the funds had been raised, I was asked to join the ‘Save The Bethnal Green Mulberry Tree’ campaign, which was supported by Dame Judy Dench and many others. I agreed to represent the residents of Tower Hamlets against the local authority for the protection of the local environment. The High Court found that Tower Hamlets Council was wrong when it approved the planning application for The Bethnal Green Chest Hospital. Taking a case to Court is very expensive for most, so local authorities continue to flout environmental laws with no consequence. Eventually the tree was saved.
The Trees in Cavell Street Gardens
The trees in Cavell Street Gardens involved another poor decision by Tower Hamlets Council. Cavell Street Gardens is a garden area approximately 100 feet x 25 feet and is a small area which contains eleven healthy trees.
Cavell Street in Whitechapel in Tower Hamlets is a short street with Ford square (a Georgian square) and Cavell Street Gardens.
A private school had been built in between the two with no play area for the students, so Tower Hamlets decided to fell four trees in Cavell Street Gardens, stating that they were diseased.
The empty space would then be laid with AstroTurf to meet some of the needs of the private school. Once again, no residents were informed or consulted of this decision by Tower Hamlets.
When consultation did take place, most of the local residents were not included. The council’s defense being that they were to plant eight semi-mature trees. However, the possibility of planting them in Cavell Street was limited, so the local residents wanted their existing trees saved.
A local campaign began and after constantly challenging The Mayor, he attended a residents meeting and adopted a common-sense approach. The insane idea to cut down trees to lay a plastic surface which would not be fit for the purpose, was made clear to him and thankfully the trees were saved. When local residents commissioned their own tree report, the council changed its stance to “The trees are not diseased”.
It is important to note that local authorities have the ultimate legal power to decide what happens to their urban environment, of which they should be protecting on behalf of the local population. But seeing what has occurred in Tower Hamlets, the local environment is safe only with constant vigilance.
UPDATE: It looks like the final round for The Bethnal Green Mulberry Tree. Although the tree cannot be moved, there is the possibility of death because the roots are being damaged beyond repair, by the development of the buildings.
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
By Geoffrey Juden
Chairman, The East London Garden Society
By way of background, in the U.K. there are 3 grades of tree protection: 1) A tree protection order (T.P.O.) is granted at a local authority's wish, and as such is subject to their whim; 2) a Veteran Tree is subject to national legislation, however it may still be felled should the local authority maintain certain health criteria; and 3) an Ancient Tree is decreed at a national level, owing to age and there has to be strong reasons for felling.
I first became concerned with our local environment when trees were disappearing without our knowledge. Many years ago in Meath Gardens, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Council sent in the tree fellers, stating that the Garden's trees were diseased. Fortunately, the local residents learnt of the proposed fate. They arranged their own tree report which stated the opposite and the trees and gardens were saved.
The Limehouse Triangle
Recently, a group of residents from Limehouse Triangle were concerned that their nature reserve was to be turned into a building site. They had little experience of what to do or how to go about defending their space and at the end, I was informed of the situation after 18 trees had been felled.
The Tower Hamlets city government insisted that the building works were to go ahead on the Limehouse Triangle despite no ecology report being undertaken. There was no consultation with local residents until after the scheme had been agreed. Tower Hamlets broke many environmental laws concerning protected species and the necessary protections for a nature reserve. In April 2019, Tower Hamlets stated that it was a simple choice of homes or trees, ignoring the fact that both could be achieved. The residents eventually won and the trees were saved.
The Bethnal Green Mulberry Tree
The Bethnal Green Mulberry Tree is 600 years old, dating back to Henry VIII, and lives in a conservation area in Bethnal Green. When the National Health Service (NHS) vacated the Bethnal Green Chest Hospital it was deemed by the NHS that the area should be developed. This is not disputed.
However, when a developer plans to build more accommodations and the natural environment is at risk, the developer must file a tree protection order (TPO).
The Bethnal Green Mulberry Tree is an icon of the area, known and loved by many. It therefore became a symbol of development versus the environment.
Tower Hamlets passed the planning application for the area against the wishes of the majority. Firstly, the Bethnal Green Mulberry Tree had to go in order to placate the developers. In addition, eleven protected trees and 27 non-protected trees were also to be felled.
The campaign began to protect this urban environment and funds were raised by neighbouring residents. Tower Hamlets acted erroneously in passing the plan as not all the correct information was given to the planning committee, and when planning is approved, I understand that this became law.
After the funds had been raised, I was asked to join the ‘Save The Bethnal Green Mulberry Tree’ campaign, which was supported by Dame Judy Dench and many others. I agreed to represent the residents of Tower Hamlets against the local authority for the protection of the local environment. The High Court found that Tower Hamlets Council was wrong when it approved the planning application for The Bethnal Green Chest Hospital. Taking a case to Court is very expensive for most, so local authorities continue to flout environmental laws with no consequence. Eventually the tree was saved.
The Trees in Cavell Street Gardens
The trees in Cavell Street Gardens involved another poor decision by Tower Hamlets Council. Cavell Street Gardens is a garden area approximately 100 feet x 25 feet and is a small area which contains eleven healthy trees.
Cavell Street in Whitechapel in Tower Hamlets is a short street with Ford square (a Georgian square) and Cavell Street Gardens.
A private school had been built in between the two with no play area for the students, so Tower Hamlets decided to fell four trees in Cavell Street Gardens, stating that they were diseased.
The empty space would then be laid with AstroTurf to meet some of the needs of the private school. Once again, no residents were informed or consulted of this decision by Tower Hamlets.
When consultation did take place, most of the local residents were not included. The council’s defense being that they were to plant eight semi-mature trees. However, the possibility of planting them in Cavell Street was limited, so the local residents wanted their existing trees saved.
A local campaign began and after constantly challenging The Mayor, he attended a residents meeting and adopted a common-sense approach. The insane idea to cut down trees to lay a plastic surface which would not be fit for the purpose, was made clear to him and thankfully the trees were saved. When local residents commissioned their own tree report, the council changed its stance to “The trees are not diseased”.
It is important to note that local authorities have the ultimate legal power to decide what happens to their urban environment, of which they should be protecting on behalf of the local population. But seeing what has occurred in Tower Hamlets, the local environment is safe only with constant vigilance.
UPDATE: It looks like the final round for The Bethnal Green Mulberry Tree. Although the tree cannot be moved, there is the possibility of death because the roots are being damaged beyond repair, by the development of the buildings.
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Fire-Resistant Trees
Edited by Len Phillips
Fire-resistant trees are those that do not readily ignite from a flame or other ignition sources. Their foliage and trunks do not significantly contribute to fuel and the fire's intensity.
Some characteristics of fire-resistant trees. They:
The Best Fire-Resistant Trees
Ranked in approximate order of fire resistance.
1. Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) is an evergreen oak. It is native from California south to Baja, Mexico. It is also called the California live oak or holm oak. It is a highly variable and often a shrubby evergreen oak tree. It typically has a multi-branched trunk and reaches a mature height of 33 to 82 feet (11-25m). Some of these trees are more than 250 years old, with trunk diameters up to 13 feet (4m). Older trees often have highly contorted, massive and gnarled trunks.
2. Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) has thick bark and large leathery leaves which are glossy and resistant to heat and drought and are slow to burn. The bur oak is generally considered to be an excellent pest free low- maintenance, long-lived deciduous tree with a deep root system. Quercus macrocarpa has a massive trunk and branches are covered in a thick gray-brown bark that becomes very deeply ridged and furrowed with age.
3. Flowering Horse-Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is native to southeastern Europe, particularly the Balkan mixed forests. This tree can grow to well over 100 feet (32m) in height. But it’s also widely cultivated in temperate climates throughout the world. The fruits, bark and leaves have a high water content. The Flowering Horse-Chestnut is sometimes called horse-chestnut, European horsechestnut, buckeye, Spanish chestnut, and conker tree. It is called a “conker tree” because its round, hard seeds have traditionally been used by British children to play a game called “conkers”. In the game, each child has a conker seed on the end of a string and takes turns trying to break another child's seed with it. Every October the world conker championships are held in the village of Ashton, England.
4. Japanese Elm (Ulmus davidiana var. japonica ) is one of the larger and more graceful elms. Native to Asia,
its size and shape is extremely variable. For instance, it can be a short tree with a densely branched broad crown. Or it can be tall and single-trunked with a narrow crown. This tree prefers moist, well-drained loams which provides it with its fire resistance. The Japanese Elm is widely planted in Japan as a street tree. It was introduced into the United States in 1895. The tree can grow up to 40 feet (13m) tall. The tree is also resistant to the elm leaf beetle and has a low to moderate resistance to Dutch elm disease.
5. American Mountain-ash (Sorbus americana) is a relatively small tree, only reaching a height of 15-20 ft., (3-7m) but it can reach 30 feet (9m) in favorable places. It is native to Eastern North America, although the largest specimens can usually be found around the Great Lakes region. The Mountain Ash’s scattered flower clusters yield colorful hanging fruits, which are a treat for birds. The abundance of long lasting juicy fruits gives the tree its fire resistance. The emerald ash borer does not attack the American Mountain Ash, as it is in a different genus from the other ash (Fraxinus) trees.
6. Southern Magnolia or bull bay (Magnolia grandiflora) is native to the southeastern United States, from coastal North Carolina to central Florida and west to Texas and Oklahoma. Its hard, heavy timber is used to make furniture, pallets and veneer. Its fire resistance comes from its hard wood that burns very slowly if at all. These giants typically grow to over 100 ft. (30m) tall. Today, the largest specimen is currently standing in Smith County, Mississippi, at 121 ft. (39.5m).
7. Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa), is also known as the Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, Western Yellow-pine,
or Filipinus pine. It suffers virtually no crown damage during less intense fires. This is because it sheds the
lower, vulnerable branches as it matures. The tree is native to the western United States and Canada, and
the most widely distributed pine species in North America. Montana has selected Ponderosa Pine as the
state tree. It typically grows to a height of about 100 ft (30m). However, in January of 2011, researchers
measured a Pacific Ponderosa Pine in the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest of Oregon to be a
whopping 268 feet (80m) high.
8. Baobab Tree (Adansonia sp.) has one of the most fire-resistant woods of all tree species. The baobab is also known as the "upside down tree". It can grow to be nearly 100 feet (30m) tall. It is the Baobab’s bulk and stature that is so astonishing. Many have trunks 30 feet (9m) in diameter. The tree is native to Madagascar, mainland Africa and Australia. Trees have also been introduced to other regions. However, the South African species is the largest and oldest, (reportedly more than 6,000 years old.) The naturally occurring hollowed-out tree trunks are often used as tourist attractions and tourist businesses.
9. Beech (Fagus grandifolia,) commonly known as the American beech or North American beech. These trees have glossy dark green leaves that change to a bronze color and produce edible beechnuts in autumn. It is an ornamental tree that is also great for providing shade. The Beech tree requires low to medium amounts of water and is slow-growing. American beech is a large, graceful native tree, excellent for large, park-like landscapes where it has room to spread its wide, low-growing branches. They can get up to 50ft. – 70ft. (15-22m) tall and spread 35ft. – 40ft. (11-12m) wide. The smooth bark is resistant to fire.
10. The Chinese Pistache (Pistacia chinensis) tree is an ornamental favorite in many urban areas around the world. It features lustrous dark green leaves that turn a beautiful bright red and orange color in autumn. They produce green flowers in the spring and small fruits that turn red when they ripen in autumn. The Chinese pistache tree can grow 25ft –35ft (8-11m) tall and spread 25ft – 35ft (8-11m) when fully matured. This species is planted as a street tree in temperate areas worldwide due to its attractive fruit and autumn foliage. They require low-watering and full sun exposure, making them very fire, drought and heat tolerant.
11. Mediterranean Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) has plump pine needles that do not dry out when the tree sheds them. Instead, they amass on the ground around the tree, trapping water. The most amazingly fire-resistant tree of all time was discovered as recently as 2012. That’s when a plot of land in Spain which had originally been used to study a deadly tree pathogen burned to the ground. But then among the ash emerged a promising patch of green. Could Mediterranean Cypress trees be planted in wildfire- prone areas as firebreaks to protect local trees? The research continues. This tree grows 65 – 100 ft. (20- 30 m) in height.
12. Jack pine (Pinus banksiana) has very thick, fire-resistant bark. It is an eastern North American pine. Its native range in Canada is east of the Rocky Mountains from the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories to Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. Also known as gray pine, it grows to 55 - 75 ft (17–24m) tall.
13. Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) is the sole living species in the genus and one of three species of coniferous trees known as redwoods, Giant sequoias are among the oldest living organisms on Earth, and are the verified third longest-lived tree species. They grow to a height of 165-280 ft. (50–85 m) and have very thick, fire-resistant bark.
14. Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus species) utilize tall crowns in order to keep flammable leaves and dead branches high from the ground and away from fire. Eucalyptus is a fast-growing evergreen tree native to Australia. As an ingredient in many products, it is used to reduce symptoms of coughs and colds.
15. Pine (Pinus species) utilize tall crowns in order to keep flammable leaves and dead branches high from the ground and away from fire. During the blaze, pine cone spines act as a fire-resistant shell to protect seeds. Pine is one of the more extensively used types of wood used as lumber. They can grow to a height of 150 – 210 ft. (45-70m).
Year-round tree care and vegetation management are essential to maintaining a defensible space on properties that need protection from fire.
Sources:
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Edited by Len Phillips
Fire-resistant trees are those that do not readily ignite from a flame or other ignition sources. Their foliage and trunks do not significantly contribute to fuel and the fire's intensity.
Some characteristics of fire-resistant trees. They:
- have a high water content in their bark and leaves.
- have large thick leaves.
- produce less wax, resin, or oil compared to most trees.
- have thin sap and do not smell strongly.
- can be damaged or killed by a wildfire, but their bark and foliage burn slower and can reduce the speed at which a fire intensifies.
The Best Fire-Resistant Trees
Ranked in approximate order of fire resistance.
1. Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) is an evergreen oak. It is native from California south to Baja, Mexico. It is also called the California live oak or holm oak. It is a highly variable and often a shrubby evergreen oak tree. It typically has a multi-branched trunk and reaches a mature height of 33 to 82 feet (11-25m). Some of these trees are more than 250 years old, with trunk diameters up to 13 feet (4m). Older trees often have highly contorted, massive and gnarled trunks.
2. Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) has thick bark and large leathery leaves which are glossy and resistant to heat and drought and are slow to burn. The bur oak is generally considered to be an excellent pest free low- maintenance, long-lived deciduous tree with a deep root system. Quercus macrocarpa has a massive trunk and branches are covered in a thick gray-brown bark that becomes very deeply ridged and furrowed with age.
3. Flowering Horse-Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is native to southeastern Europe, particularly the Balkan mixed forests. This tree can grow to well over 100 feet (32m) in height. But it’s also widely cultivated in temperate climates throughout the world. The fruits, bark and leaves have a high water content. The Flowering Horse-Chestnut is sometimes called horse-chestnut, European horsechestnut, buckeye, Spanish chestnut, and conker tree. It is called a “conker tree” because its round, hard seeds have traditionally been used by British children to play a game called “conkers”. In the game, each child has a conker seed on the end of a string and takes turns trying to break another child's seed with it. Every October the world conker championships are held in the village of Ashton, England.
4. Japanese Elm (Ulmus davidiana var. japonica ) is one of the larger and more graceful elms. Native to Asia,
its size and shape is extremely variable. For instance, it can be a short tree with a densely branched broad crown. Or it can be tall and single-trunked with a narrow crown. This tree prefers moist, well-drained loams which provides it with its fire resistance. The Japanese Elm is widely planted in Japan as a street tree. It was introduced into the United States in 1895. The tree can grow up to 40 feet (13m) tall. The tree is also resistant to the elm leaf beetle and has a low to moderate resistance to Dutch elm disease.
5. American Mountain-ash (Sorbus americana) is a relatively small tree, only reaching a height of 15-20 ft., (3-7m) but it can reach 30 feet (9m) in favorable places. It is native to Eastern North America, although the largest specimens can usually be found around the Great Lakes region. The Mountain Ash’s scattered flower clusters yield colorful hanging fruits, which are a treat for birds. The abundance of long lasting juicy fruits gives the tree its fire resistance. The emerald ash borer does not attack the American Mountain Ash, as it is in a different genus from the other ash (Fraxinus) trees.
6. Southern Magnolia or bull bay (Magnolia grandiflora) is native to the southeastern United States, from coastal North Carolina to central Florida and west to Texas and Oklahoma. Its hard, heavy timber is used to make furniture, pallets and veneer. Its fire resistance comes from its hard wood that burns very slowly if at all. These giants typically grow to over 100 ft. (30m) tall. Today, the largest specimen is currently standing in Smith County, Mississippi, at 121 ft. (39.5m).
7. Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa), is also known as the Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, Western Yellow-pine,
or Filipinus pine. It suffers virtually no crown damage during less intense fires. This is because it sheds the
lower, vulnerable branches as it matures. The tree is native to the western United States and Canada, and
the most widely distributed pine species in North America. Montana has selected Ponderosa Pine as the
state tree. It typically grows to a height of about 100 ft (30m). However, in January of 2011, researchers
measured a Pacific Ponderosa Pine in the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest of Oregon to be a
whopping 268 feet (80m) high.
8. Baobab Tree (Adansonia sp.) has one of the most fire-resistant woods of all tree species. The baobab is also known as the "upside down tree". It can grow to be nearly 100 feet (30m) tall. It is the Baobab’s bulk and stature that is so astonishing. Many have trunks 30 feet (9m) in diameter. The tree is native to Madagascar, mainland Africa and Australia. Trees have also been introduced to other regions. However, the South African species is the largest and oldest, (reportedly more than 6,000 years old.) The naturally occurring hollowed-out tree trunks are often used as tourist attractions and tourist businesses.
9. Beech (Fagus grandifolia,) commonly known as the American beech or North American beech. These trees have glossy dark green leaves that change to a bronze color and produce edible beechnuts in autumn. It is an ornamental tree that is also great for providing shade. The Beech tree requires low to medium amounts of water and is slow-growing. American beech is a large, graceful native tree, excellent for large, park-like landscapes where it has room to spread its wide, low-growing branches. They can get up to 50ft. – 70ft. (15-22m) tall and spread 35ft. – 40ft. (11-12m) wide. The smooth bark is resistant to fire.
10. The Chinese Pistache (Pistacia chinensis) tree is an ornamental favorite in many urban areas around the world. It features lustrous dark green leaves that turn a beautiful bright red and orange color in autumn. They produce green flowers in the spring and small fruits that turn red when they ripen in autumn. The Chinese pistache tree can grow 25ft –35ft (8-11m) tall and spread 25ft – 35ft (8-11m) when fully matured. This species is planted as a street tree in temperate areas worldwide due to its attractive fruit and autumn foliage. They require low-watering and full sun exposure, making them very fire, drought and heat tolerant.
11. Mediterranean Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) has plump pine needles that do not dry out when the tree sheds them. Instead, they amass on the ground around the tree, trapping water. The most amazingly fire-resistant tree of all time was discovered as recently as 2012. That’s when a plot of land in Spain which had originally been used to study a deadly tree pathogen burned to the ground. But then among the ash emerged a promising patch of green. Could Mediterranean Cypress trees be planted in wildfire- prone areas as firebreaks to protect local trees? The research continues. This tree grows 65 – 100 ft. (20- 30 m) in height.
12. Jack pine (Pinus banksiana) has very thick, fire-resistant bark. It is an eastern North American pine. Its native range in Canada is east of the Rocky Mountains from the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories to Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. Also known as gray pine, it grows to 55 - 75 ft (17–24m) tall.
13. Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) is the sole living species in the genus and one of three species of coniferous trees known as redwoods, Giant sequoias are among the oldest living organisms on Earth, and are the verified third longest-lived tree species. They grow to a height of 165-280 ft. (50–85 m) and have very thick, fire-resistant bark.
14. Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus species) utilize tall crowns in order to keep flammable leaves and dead branches high from the ground and away from fire. Eucalyptus is a fast-growing evergreen tree native to Australia. As an ingredient in many products, it is used to reduce symptoms of coughs and colds.
15. Pine (Pinus species) utilize tall crowns in order to keep flammable leaves and dead branches high from the ground and away from fire. During the blaze, pine cone spines act as a fire-resistant shell to protect seeds. Pine is one of the more extensively used types of wood used as lumber. They can grow to a height of 150 – 210 ft. (45-70m).
Year-round tree care and vegetation management are essential to maintaining a defensible space on properties that need protection from fire.
Sources:
- Urban Tree Farm Nursery, “Fire Resistant Trees”, 2019
- Vintage Tree Care, “The Best Fire-Resistant Trees to Plant to Create a Defensible Space”, Tree Care, Dec 9, 2021
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Tree of the Seminar
Betula nigra ‘BNMTF’
by Len Phillips
Betula nigra 'BNMTF' is trademarked as Dura-Heat™ River Birch. This tree is a handsome, often multi-trunked, and fast-growing tree that is native to the southeastern and central United States. In cultivation, Dura-Heat™ can be trained as either a single trunk or multi-trunked tree. Multi-trunked trees form a more irregular crown and are generally considered to be the superior growth habit for this species featuring a single trunk this tree develops a pyramidal habit when young, but matures to a more rounded shape typically growing 40-70 ft. (12-20 m) tall and wide. As a clump, it grows to a height of 30-40 ft. (10-12 m.) and spread 25-35 ft. (8-11 m.).
Betula nigra 'BNMTF' has double-toothed leaves that are small and close together on the twigs. The Dura-Heat™ trees grow in the warm southern sun at a very rapid rate. The dark green leaves turn light yellow and are more persistent in autumn. Dura-Heat™ prefers moist, acidic, fertile soils including semi-aquatic conditions, tolerates drier soils and does best in USDA hardiness zones 4-9 and AHS Heat Zones 11-1. Dura-Heat™ adapts well to heavy clay soils and will tolerate poor drainage, low soil oxygen, flooding, and a clay soil, but needs moist, acidic soil conditions most of the time. Avoid pruning in spring when the sap is running. The Dura-Heat™ root system is reported by growers to be densely branched and compact. The importance of this fact is that the tree can be transplanted in summer without problems, provided irrigation is present.
Dura-Heat™'s wood is considered diffuse porous meaning that there is little difference in the size of pores between spring and summer wood. Because of this, Dura-Heat™ is considered a poor compartmentalizer so decay can develop and spread quickly following mechanical injury from construction activities near the tree, vandalism, storm damage, or improper pruning cuts. In the North, river birch is very susceptible to damage from ice loads.
Although not noted for its bloom, Dura-Heat™ does produce a brownish-yellow flower in April and May. Birch pollen causes significant allergy attacks in some people. However, pollen is only produced for a short period of time and in small amounts. The seeds are attractive to birds especially goldfinch. This birch is reported to be a Florida seed source because river birch occurs naturally throughout Florida.
Dura-Heat's most notable ornamental features are its beautiful exfoliating bark that appears in mixed shades of copper, tan, sandy brown, slate gray, salmon, and cinnamon exposing a creamy-white or ivory inner bark. The surface bark of Dura-Heat™ exfoliates sooner than the species. This tree casts a light shade under the canopy making it easier to grow turf under this tree than under trees with a dense canopy. However, the bark on this tree growing in shade may not have the light color that is considered so attractive.
This tree was selected for its noticeable differences in character from the native species," says Dan Whitehead, sales manager for Moon's Nursery in Loganville, Georgia. Unlike the native species, Dura-Heat™ features leathery, shiny, dark green leaves forming a dense canopy as it matures.
Most species of birch grow best in cool, northern climates, but do not adapt well to the hot summers. Because of its heat tolerance, Dura-Heat™ is not only the exception, it is also a potential tree to deal with future global warming. However, Dura-Heat™ is not a tree to plant and forget because there is an irrigation requirement. Betula nigra 'BNMTF' is very well-suited for growing along steam banks which might be inundated for weeks at a time, without harm. The tree attracts birds and butterflies. Another positive note, this tree is the least susceptible to the disease and bronze birch borer problems compared to other birches.
Appreciate Dura-Heat™ River Birch for its beautiful bark, tolerance to hot weather, and resistance to pests and disease.
Sources
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA science credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Betula nigra ‘BNMTF’
by Len Phillips
Betula nigra 'BNMTF' is trademarked as Dura-Heat™ River Birch. This tree is a handsome, often multi-trunked, and fast-growing tree that is native to the southeastern and central United States. In cultivation, Dura-Heat™ can be trained as either a single trunk or multi-trunked tree. Multi-trunked trees form a more irregular crown and are generally considered to be the superior growth habit for this species featuring a single trunk this tree develops a pyramidal habit when young, but matures to a more rounded shape typically growing 40-70 ft. (12-20 m) tall and wide. As a clump, it grows to a height of 30-40 ft. (10-12 m.) and spread 25-35 ft. (8-11 m.).
Betula nigra 'BNMTF' has double-toothed leaves that are small and close together on the twigs. The Dura-Heat™ trees grow in the warm southern sun at a very rapid rate. The dark green leaves turn light yellow and are more persistent in autumn. Dura-Heat™ prefers moist, acidic, fertile soils including semi-aquatic conditions, tolerates drier soils and does best in USDA hardiness zones 4-9 and AHS Heat Zones 11-1. Dura-Heat™ adapts well to heavy clay soils and will tolerate poor drainage, low soil oxygen, flooding, and a clay soil, but needs moist, acidic soil conditions most of the time. Avoid pruning in spring when the sap is running. The Dura-Heat™ root system is reported by growers to be densely branched and compact. The importance of this fact is that the tree can be transplanted in summer without problems, provided irrigation is present.
Dura-Heat™'s wood is considered diffuse porous meaning that there is little difference in the size of pores between spring and summer wood. Because of this, Dura-Heat™ is considered a poor compartmentalizer so decay can develop and spread quickly following mechanical injury from construction activities near the tree, vandalism, storm damage, or improper pruning cuts. In the North, river birch is very susceptible to damage from ice loads.
Although not noted for its bloom, Dura-Heat™ does produce a brownish-yellow flower in April and May. Birch pollen causes significant allergy attacks in some people. However, pollen is only produced for a short period of time and in small amounts. The seeds are attractive to birds especially goldfinch. This birch is reported to be a Florida seed source because river birch occurs naturally throughout Florida.
Dura-Heat's most notable ornamental features are its beautiful exfoliating bark that appears in mixed shades of copper, tan, sandy brown, slate gray, salmon, and cinnamon exposing a creamy-white or ivory inner bark. The surface bark of Dura-Heat™ exfoliates sooner than the species. This tree casts a light shade under the canopy making it easier to grow turf under this tree than under trees with a dense canopy. However, the bark on this tree growing in shade may not have the light color that is considered so attractive.
This tree was selected for its noticeable differences in character from the native species," says Dan Whitehead, sales manager for Moon's Nursery in Loganville, Georgia. Unlike the native species, Dura-Heat™ features leathery, shiny, dark green leaves forming a dense canopy as it matures.
Most species of birch grow best in cool, northern climates, but do not adapt well to the hot summers. Because of its heat tolerance, Dura-Heat™ is not only the exception, it is also a potential tree to deal with future global warming. However, Dura-Heat™ is not a tree to plant and forget because there is an irrigation requirement. Betula nigra 'BNMTF' is very well-suited for growing along steam banks which might be inundated for weeks at a time, without harm. The tree attracts birds and butterflies. Another positive note, this tree is the least susceptible to the disease and bronze birch borer problems compared to other birches.
Appreciate Dura-Heat™ River Birch for its beautiful bark, tolerance to hot weather, and resistance to pests and disease.
Sources
- Dirr, Michael A. and Keith S. Warren, “The Tree Book”, Timber Press, 2019.
- J. Frank Schmidt & Son Nursery photo
- Landscape Plants, “Betula nigra Dura-Heat™, University of Florida IFAS, February 27, 2015
- Missouri Botanical Garden, “Betula nigra Dura-Heat™”, Plant Finder
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA science credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Birch Polypore
Edited by Len Phillips
The Birch Polypore, Fomitopsis betulina, is a disease formerly known as Piptoporus betulinus, and commonly known as the birch polypore, birch bracket, or razor strop. It can be a parasite to living trees slowly killing them and then living on the dead tree for many years until the tree has rotted to nothing. See Photo
Fomitopsis betulina is a common bracket fungus mushroom and, as the name suggests, grows only on birch trees but the mushroom can be artificially introduced to other trees. The brackets or fruits burst out from the bark of the tree, and these fruit bodies can be present for more than a year.
Humans have been using birch polypore mushrooms for folk medicine purposes dating back 5,000 years. It has been used as a tonic for the immune system, as an antiseptic to clean wounds and promote healing, as a plaster that is microporus, antifungal and antiseptic and was probably used by Bronze Age humans to get rid of parasitic worms.
In 1991 Austrian hikers in the Tyrol region of the Italian Alps discovered a frozen corpse. When this person was later examined it turned out to be a 5,300 year old mummy that they named Otzi. Otzi had some Birch Polypore on a leather thong around his neck, he also had the parasitic intestinal worm called a Whipworm which can be cured with the polypolenic acid present in the Birch Polypore.
Another possible use of the fungus by Bronze Age humans was as a very good tinder that can be started with a weak spark or used to transport fire. The fungus can smolder for a long time and can be used to transport to the next destination to quickly start a fire.
Birch trees also contain betulenic acid which has many health benefits for people. There are also other chemicals in the Birch Polypore that are beneficial for enhancing good health. With modern research it is becoming clear that the Birch Polypore is an important fungus to investigate. Tests have been carried out and so far, found the following:
The mushroom has very beneficial effects on the immune system and many people drink a tea made from the fresh or dried fungi and swear by its positive effects.
Sources
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA science credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Edited by Len Phillips
The Birch Polypore, Fomitopsis betulina, is a disease formerly known as Piptoporus betulinus, and commonly known as the birch polypore, birch bracket, or razor strop. It can be a parasite to living trees slowly killing them and then living on the dead tree for many years until the tree has rotted to nothing. See Photo
Fomitopsis betulina is a common bracket fungus mushroom and, as the name suggests, grows only on birch trees but the mushroom can be artificially introduced to other trees. The brackets or fruits burst out from the bark of the tree, and these fruit bodies can be present for more than a year.
Humans have been using birch polypore mushrooms for folk medicine purposes dating back 5,000 years. It has been used as a tonic for the immune system, as an antiseptic to clean wounds and promote healing, as a plaster that is microporus, antifungal and antiseptic and was probably used by Bronze Age humans to get rid of parasitic worms.
In 1991 Austrian hikers in the Tyrol region of the Italian Alps discovered a frozen corpse. When this person was later examined it turned out to be a 5,300 year old mummy that they named Otzi. Otzi had some Birch Polypore on a leather thong around his neck, he also had the parasitic intestinal worm called a Whipworm which can be cured with the polypolenic acid present in the Birch Polypore.
Another possible use of the fungus by Bronze Age humans was as a very good tinder that can be started with a weak spark or used to transport fire. The fungus can smolder for a long time and can be used to transport to the next destination to quickly start a fire.
Birch trees also contain betulenic acid which has many health benefits for people. There are also other chemicals in the Birch Polypore that are beneficial for enhancing good health. With modern research it is becoming clear that the Birch Polypore is an important fungus to investigate. Tests have been carried out and so far, found the following:
- Extracts from the Birch Polypore may block reproduction in HIV cells, They may attack and incapacitated encephalitis infections. It has also proved positive in treating common flu, yellow fever and West Nile flu.
- Healers use birch polypore tea or tincture to treat infections, while the pharmaceutical industry is looking into making a marketable antibiotic based on this. Birch polypore tea can be kept in a refrigerator for a few days or frozen into ice cubes. Add the liquid or ice cubes to soup or stews to enhance it.
- Antibiotic: The Birch Polypore contains the antibiotic piptamine, which has been used to treat e-coli.
- Anti-inflammatory: There are several triterpene acids present and these are known to be anti- inflammatory.
- Anti-Tumor: Betulenic acid and other chemicals in the fungi have been shown to cause apoptosis, the destruction of cancer cells while not affecting healthy cells.
- Antiseptic: For cleaning wounds and working as an aid to healing.
- Antifungal: This mushroom does not like to share its habitat with other mushrooms and contains some powerful antifungals.
- Styptic: The fungus has styptic properties that work to stop bleeding.
The mushroom has very beneficial effects on the immune system and many people drink a tea made from the fresh or dried fungi and swear by its positive effects.
- A plaster can be made from the underside of the mushroom, by using a strip cut and carefully removed from the pore membrane. This provides a microporus, anti fungal, antiseptic and self sticking plaster, which is much better than can be purchased from herbal shops.
- A corn or blister plaster can be easily fashioned from the flesh of the mushroom by cutting some flesh into a doughnut shape of the right size and applying to the corn or blister.
- The common name Razor Strop Fungus comes from the use in old barber shops of cutting a strip from the underside of the fungus, drying it, and sticking it to a piece of flat wood. This was used to give the final finish to the cut throat from the razors that barbers used.
- The fungus was used in the past as a very fine emery cloth to polish metals, making ink blotters, and even bases for mounting specimen insect collections.
Sources
- Adamant, Ashley, “Birch Polypore: Identification & Uses”, February 4, 2020
- Wikipedia, “Birch Polypore”
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA science credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
The 3-30-300 Rule
Edited by Len Phillips
Urban forests provide a wide range of essential benefits to deal with climate change, global warming, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Forests also provide a calm place for people to walk and enjoy tranquility.
The current state of research and practice to grow more trees and vegetation in our neighborhoods and cities are complex and guidelines are seldom followed. One common guideline for improving the environmental quality of our cities is called the 3-30-300 rule. This simple rule was developed by Cecil Konijnendijk van den Bosch, the Director of Nature Based Solutions Institute & Program Director (Master of Urban Forestry Leadership), at the University of British Columbia where he focuses on our urban forests. He also recognizes that we have to consider many different aspects of the urban forest in order to be successful. The program addresses the need for urban forests to percolate into our living environments. At the same time, each rule is straightforward to implement and monitor.
-3-
The first rule is that every citizen should be able to see at least 3 trees of a decent size from their home. Recent research demonstrates the importance of nearby trees, especially visible and green, is for mental health and well-being. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been bound to their homes or their direct neighborhoods. Fortunately, this rule is already in effect in many cities, homes, and in places of great importance. This means that many trees, shrubs, and plants in gardens and along the streets of many cities are seen and appreciated. The Danish municipality of Frederiksberg, for example, has a tree policy that calls for every citizen to see at least one tree from their house or apartment. Looking at Frediksberg from the air, via Google Earth, it is clearly visible that absolutely every house has a tree in the front yard and every building is surrounded by trees. This is very different from cities in Europe and the US.
-30-
The second rule is very popular in the United States, where they take this 3-30-300 rule one step further. The goal should be 30% tree canopy cover in every neighborhood. Many of the most ambitious cities in the world such as Barcelona, Bristol, Canberra, Seattle, and Vancouver, have set a target of achieving a 30% tree canopy cover throughout the city. At the neighborhood level, 30% should be a minimum, and cities should strive for even higher canopy cover when possible. Studies have shown a person's association within an urban forest canopy derives health benefits from cooling and better micro-climates as well as improved mental and physical health. The canopy can also reduce air pollution and city noise. By creating more leafy neighborhoods, we also encourage people to spend more time outdoors and interacting with their neighbors, which in turn promotes positive social health.
-300-
Many studies have highlighted the importance of proximity and easy access to high-quality green spaces that can be used for recreation. A safe 5-10 minute stroll is often mentioned. The European Regional Office of the World Health Organization recommends a maximum distance of 1,000 feet (300 meters) to the nearest green space of at least an acre (half hectare) in size. This encourages the recreational use of green space with improvements to both physical and mental health. Of course, it will be important to work with local context, as the needs in low-density suburban areas will be different from those in dense urban areas.
Efforts also need to be made to provide access to high-quality urban green space in parks or in the form of linear green spaces that double as cycle corridors and walking paths.
Applying the 3-30-300 rule will improve and expand the local urban forest in many cities, and with that promote health, well-being, and resilience.
Source
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Edited by Len Phillips
Urban forests provide a wide range of essential benefits to deal with climate change, global warming, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Forests also provide a calm place for people to walk and enjoy tranquility.
The current state of research and practice to grow more trees and vegetation in our neighborhoods and cities are complex and guidelines are seldom followed. One common guideline for improving the environmental quality of our cities is called the 3-30-300 rule. This simple rule was developed by Cecil Konijnendijk van den Bosch, the Director of Nature Based Solutions Institute & Program Director (Master of Urban Forestry Leadership), at the University of British Columbia where he focuses on our urban forests. He also recognizes that we have to consider many different aspects of the urban forest in order to be successful. The program addresses the need for urban forests to percolate into our living environments. At the same time, each rule is straightforward to implement and monitor.
-3-
The first rule is that every citizen should be able to see at least 3 trees of a decent size from their home. Recent research demonstrates the importance of nearby trees, especially visible and green, is for mental health and well-being. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been bound to their homes or their direct neighborhoods. Fortunately, this rule is already in effect in many cities, homes, and in places of great importance. This means that many trees, shrubs, and plants in gardens and along the streets of many cities are seen and appreciated. The Danish municipality of Frederiksberg, for example, has a tree policy that calls for every citizen to see at least one tree from their house or apartment. Looking at Frediksberg from the air, via Google Earth, it is clearly visible that absolutely every house has a tree in the front yard and every building is surrounded by trees. This is very different from cities in Europe and the US.
-30-
The second rule is very popular in the United States, where they take this 3-30-300 rule one step further. The goal should be 30% tree canopy cover in every neighborhood. Many of the most ambitious cities in the world such as Barcelona, Bristol, Canberra, Seattle, and Vancouver, have set a target of achieving a 30% tree canopy cover throughout the city. At the neighborhood level, 30% should be a minimum, and cities should strive for even higher canopy cover when possible. Studies have shown a person's association within an urban forest canopy derives health benefits from cooling and better micro-climates as well as improved mental and physical health. The canopy can also reduce air pollution and city noise. By creating more leafy neighborhoods, we also encourage people to spend more time outdoors and interacting with their neighbors, which in turn promotes positive social health.
-300-
Many studies have highlighted the importance of proximity and easy access to high-quality green spaces that can be used for recreation. A safe 5-10 minute stroll is often mentioned. The European Regional Office of the World Health Organization recommends a maximum distance of 1,000 feet (300 meters) to the nearest green space of at least an acre (half hectare) in size. This encourages the recreational use of green space with improvements to both physical and mental health. Of course, it will be important to work with local context, as the needs in low-density suburban areas will be different from those in dense urban areas.
Efforts also need to be made to provide access to high-quality urban green space in parks or in the form of linear green spaces that double as cycle corridors and walking paths.
Applying the 3-30-300 rule will improve and expand the local urban forest in many cities, and with that promote health, well-being, and resilience.
Source
- Various writings and lectures by Cecil Konijnendijk van den Bosch,
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
City of Fort Wayne, Indiana
Edited by Len Phillips
The trees in the City of Fort Wayne's urban canopy are recognized as a key element of the overall infrastructure. The trees are one of the very few components of the City's infrastructure that do not depreciate over time. They actually provide an increased benefit and value as time passes.
In Fort Wayne, all the trees that are growing in the public right of way are considered public street trees. The public right of way's width varies from street to street, but it is generally defined as the area from the center line of the street across either side of the roadway to the curb and then a distance of approximately 8 feet (2.5m) for the sidewalk. This 8 foot wide area is called a tree lawn and used for sidewalks, utility lines, and street trees.
Street trees benefit Fort Wayne in many ways. They define the character of the neighborhoods and add to the value of private property. Street trees also provide aesthetic, environmental and socioeconomic benefits that help improve the quality of life for all City residents.
Tree Protection
The City of Fort Wayne is committed to the preservation and protection of its publicly owned trees as demonstrated by existing ordinances. For example:
The Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Forestry Team is responsible for maintaining all the public trees within the city. The publicly owned urban canopy is comprised of almost 50,000 street trees located along nearly 1300 miles of roadway and the 20,000 trees found within 87 city parks.
The goals of the City's tree maintenance program are to promote health, provide safe and functioning public spaces, and maximize the environmental, social, and economic benefits of trees. Providing proper maintenance of trees is the most cost-effective means of having healthy, long lived trees.
The forestry team strives to maintain a seven year pruning cycle. This means that every seven years, each tree will be thoroughly inspected for structural issues and pruned according to the City's specifications. In order to maintain a seven year pruning cycle, forestry crews must prune about 7,200 trees per year. To do this, crews work efficiently and systematically as they make their way around the City.
It is critical that the forestry team stays on task as they work toward this pruning goal. For this reason, they are not able to address maintenance concerns that have been inspected and determined to present a low probability of failure resulting in personal injury or property damage, unless it happens to be where they are currently working.
Removal
Each summer, qualified forestry arborists with both ISA Certified Advanced Training in Tree Risk Assessment credentials will evaluate the street trees by windshield survey with the intent of identifying trees for removal. Recognizing the limitations of the City's resources, they try to identify the trees that present the greatest risk. This survey typically results in 500-600 trees being identified for removal. Once identified, the removal of these trees will be scheduled according to priority as determined by the inspection. Proximity to additional trees identified for removal is also considered during scheduling.
Planting
Street trees can add interest, beauty, and value to a city's forestry landscape. There's nothing quite like driving down any city's oldest thoroughfare lined with large, historic street trees. If selected carefully, street trees will bring urban beauty for decades and maybe centuries to come.
The City of Fort Wayne has approximately 40,000 available planting sites and funding to install about 1000 trees annually. Residents are encouraged to consider Ft. Wayne's Citizen Match Tree Planting Program. This is a cost sharing program where residents can provide some funding toward the installation of extra trees near their homes.
To ensure that the resident has the best site for a street tree, it is important to evaluate the location and then get the best tree to match the site.
Arbor Day Tree Seedling
Third grade students in Fort Wayne all receive a tree seedling each spring. Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation partners with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Friends of the Parks, and the School Children Flower and Vegetable Association to offer every Fort Wayne third grader a tree seedling for planting around their home.
Storm Response
Any tree, whether it has visible weaknesses or not, will fail if the forces applied to it exceed the strength of the tree or it parts. Most tree failures occur during periods of adverse weather and the City's response efforts have been prioritized.
Covid and the recent shift within the job market has made it very challenging for Ft Wayne to attract and retain qualified staff. Because of this, the past two years have been an adventure and we have not been able to provide the level of service that our residents are accustomed to.
Sources
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Edited by Len Phillips
The trees in the City of Fort Wayne's urban canopy are recognized as a key element of the overall infrastructure. The trees are one of the very few components of the City's infrastructure that do not depreciate over time. They actually provide an increased benefit and value as time passes.
In Fort Wayne, all the trees that are growing in the public right of way are considered public street trees. The public right of way's width varies from street to street, but it is generally defined as the area from the center line of the street across either side of the roadway to the curb and then a distance of approximately 8 feet (2.5m) for the sidewalk. This 8 foot wide area is called a tree lawn and used for sidewalks, utility lines, and street trees.
Street trees benefit Fort Wayne in many ways. They define the character of the neighborhoods and add to the value of private property. Street trees also provide aesthetic, environmental and socioeconomic benefits that help improve the quality of life for all City residents.
Tree Protection
The City of Fort Wayne is committed to the preservation and protection of its publicly owned trees as demonstrated by existing ordinances. For example:
- No party shall negatively impact any City owned tree in any way without the approval of the Superintendent of Forestry Operations. This includes the damaging of tree roots, trunk, and limbs.
- No party shall perform any maintenance practice on a City owned tree except with the permission of the Superintendent of Forestry Operations.
The Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Forestry Team is responsible for maintaining all the public trees within the city. The publicly owned urban canopy is comprised of almost 50,000 street trees located along nearly 1300 miles of roadway and the 20,000 trees found within 87 city parks.
The goals of the City's tree maintenance program are to promote health, provide safe and functioning public spaces, and maximize the environmental, social, and economic benefits of trees. Providing proper maintenance of trees is the most cost-effective means of having healthy, long lived trees.
The forestry team strives to maintain a seven year pruning cycle. This means that every seven years, each tree will be thoroughly inspected for structural issues and pruned according to the City's specifications. In order to maintain a seven year pruning cycle, forestry crews must prune about 7,200 trees per year. To do this, crews work efficiently and systematically as they make their way around the City.
It is critical that the forestry team stays on task as they work toward this pruning goal. For this reason, they are not able to address maintenance concerns that have been inspected and determined to present a low probability of failure resulting in personal injury or property damage, unless it happens to be where they are currently working.
Removal
Each summer, qualified forestry arborists with both ISA Certified Advanced Training in Tree Risk Assessment credentials will evaluate the street trees by windshield survey with the intent of identifying trees for removal. Recognizing the limitations of the City's resources, they try to identify the trees that present the greatest risk. This survey typically results in 500-600 trees being identified for removal. Once identified, the removal of these trees will be scheduled according to priority as determined by the inspection. Proximity to additional trees identified for removal is also considered during scheduling.
Planting
Street trees can add interest, beauty, and value to a city's forestry landscape. There's nothing quite like driving down any city's oldest thoroughfare lined with large, historic street trees. If selected carefully, street trees will bring urban beauty for decades and maybe centuries to come.
The City of Fort Wayne has approximately 40,000 available planting sites and funding to install about 1000 trees annually. Residents are encouraged to consider Ft. Wayne's Citizen Match Tree Planting Program. This is a cost sharing program where residents can provide some funding toward the installation of extra trees near their homes.
To ensure that the resident has the best site for a street tree, it is important to evaluate the location and then get the best tree to match the site.
Arbor Day Tree Seedling
Third grade students in Fort Wayne all receive a tree seedling each spring. Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation partners with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Friends of the Parks, and the School Children Flower and Vegetable Association to offer every Fort Wayne third grader a tree seedling for planting around their home.
Storm Response
Any tree, whether it has visible weaknesses or not, will fail if the forces applied to it exceed the strength of the tree or it parts. Most tree failures occur during periods of adverse weather and the City's response efforts have been prioritized.
Covid and the recent shift within the job market has made it very challenging for Ft Wayne to attract and retain qualified staff. Because of this, the past two years have been an adventure and we have not been able to provide the level of service that our residents are accustomed to.
Sources
- City of Fort Wayne website
- Derek.veit@cityoffortwayne.org
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Trees with Tales
Robinia pseudoacacia
by Len Phillips
The Tree
Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly called Black Locust tree, is also known as false acacia. The black locust tree is a deciduous tree native to the southeastern United States, although it can now be found in the 48 states, eastern Canada, and British Columbia.
Robinia grows quickly and averages a height of 30 to 70 feet (10-31 m) with a spread of 20 to 35 feet (6-11 m) wide at maturity. The Champion Tree, located in Livingston NY has a height of 99 feet (30 m), and spread of 93 feet (28 m) and a trunk circumference of 326 inches (9 m) or diameter of 103 inches (3 m). It is a very upright tree with a straight trunk but the branches grow scraggly with age. It sends sucker roots in every direction classifying the tree as invasive. It has thorns which makes it tough to trim or remove the suckers. Although the tree does not tolerate shade or extreme cold, it does grow well in a variety of moisture levels, fertility, and slope conditions. Black locust has nodules of nitrogen-fixing bacteria on its roots which make it an excellent species for re-vegetating poor and damaged soils. In addition, its tolerance for low pH has made the tree useful for strip-mine reclamation because it will grow on most soils as long as they are not wet or poorly drained. This tree tolerates a soil pH range of 4.6 to 8.2, the USDA Hardiness Zones between 4 and 9, and AHS Heat Zones between 9 and 3. Robinia is in the Fabaceae family of trees.
Robinia pseudoacacia bark is dark gray brown and tinged with red or orange inner bark showing through the grooves on the older outer bark. These grooves and ridges run up and down the trunk and often cross to form diamond shapes.
Black locust grows well in young woodlands and disturbed areas where sunlight is plentiful and the soil is dry. The dark blue-green compound leaves with a contrasting lighter underside give this tree a beautiful appearance in the wind and contribute to its grace. The leaves are up to 10" long and consist of many small leaflets on either side of a central petiole. The small leaflets result in the tree casting a filtered shade that permits shade-tolerant plants to grow underneath the tree.
There are several cultivars of Robinia pseudoacacia, mostly with flowers of pinks and reds. My favorite cultivar however is Twisty Baby which has contorted limbs, branches, leaves, and flowers. It does not seem to sucker as much as the species and it retains a nice controlled oval form as it grows, albeit with twisted and crooked branches that from a distance are not noticed.
Robinia is susceptible to locust borer and locust leaf miner. Other insect problems include caterpillars, weevils, scale and white flies. Possible disease problems include canker, powdery mildew, leaf spots, wood rots and verticillium wilt. However, none of these problems kill the tree or even discourage normal growth.
Tales
In 1636, Robinia pseudoacacia was the first tree species to be exported from North America to Great Britain and Europe, and it continues to provide nectar for the ‘acacia’ honey that is popular all over Europe. It has been widely grown and naturalized in Europe, Southern Africa, and Asia. Note: As a beekeeper when I was young, I had a special interest in this tree when it was covered with honeybees in the white flowers early every morning when the tree was in bloom. The flowers were followed with black seed pod. The mild fragrance in the air and the hum of the honeybee wings is still pleasant in my mind.
With fertilizer prices rising, the importance of black locust as a nitrogen-fixing species is also noteworthy. The mass application of fertilizers in agriculture and forestry is increasingly expensive; therefore nitrogen-fixing tree and shrub species are gaining importance in managed forestry.
Robinia pseudoacacia is the most frequently planted tree in the sandy and rapidly eroding soils of the south-western part of Romania and is currently representing 5% of all the forest land in Romania. This is because it tolerates the barren sandy desert soil. It has been successfully growing in forest rotation for several generations.
Robinia pseudoacacia root suckers are an important method of local reproduction. The main trunk also has the capability to grow sprouts and will do so after being cut down. This makes removal of black locust difficult as the suckers need to be continually removed from both the trunk and roots or the tree will regrow. This is considered an asexual form of reproduction. The suckers allow black locust to grow into colonies which are dense thickets that shade out competition, but provide excellent wildlife habitat and are extremely good for erosion control.
In a suburb west of Boston, MA where I spent the bulk of my career, we had a large clump of black locust right outside our government center railroad station. In the late spring, when the flowers opened, the trees were humming with honeybee activity. However, because of its location at a railroad/pedestrian crossing, it had to be removed and we spent several years trying to remove all the new suckers, before we finally resorted to herbicide. Even then, total kill required three years of repeated applications. This is one tough tree!!
Although Robinia pseudoacacia is considered a major honey plant in the eastern U.S., it does not always produce a reliable crop of nectar that bees will convert to honey. The nectar flow is very dependent on local weather conditions and in some years the flowers yield little or no nectar at all. The flowers, which bloom in long, white racemes, have both stamens and a pistil (male and female parts), and open sometime between April and June for about ten days. The honey has an unmistakable fruity fragrance and it is high in fructose, so it can be stored for long periods without crystallizing.
Black locust wood is pale yellowish brown; heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, and very durable in contact with the ground. It is often planted for the purpose of becoming a source of firewood, not only because of its fast growth but because the wood burns very hot. The Robinia pseudoacacia wood is one of the hardest woods in Northern America making it very resistant to rot. It is prized for furniture, flooring, paneling, fence posts, and small watercraft. Wet, newly cut planks have an offensive odor which disappears with age.
Black locust is appreciated for more than being just a tree that will grow anywhere, or their soft shade production, or the easy leaf cleanup every autumn. They are appreciated most for the almost pure white, clear honey that is produced by honeybees that visit the flowers on these trees every spring.
Sources
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA science credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Robinia pseudoacacia
by Len Phillips
The Tree
Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly called Black Locust tree, is also known as false acacia. The black locust tree is a deciduous tree native to the southeastern United States, although it can now be found in the 48 states, eastern Canada, and British Columbia.
Robinia grows quickly and averages a height of 30 to 70 feet (10-31 m) with a spread of 20 to 35 feet (6-11 m) wide at maturity. The Champion Tree, located in Livingston NY has a height of 99 feet (30 m), and spread of 93 feet (28 m) and a trunk circumference of 326 inches (9 m) or diameter of 103 inches (3 m). It is a very upright tree with a straight trunk but the branches grow scraggly with age. It sends sucker roots in every direction classifying the tree as invasive. It has thorns which makes it tough to trim or remove the suckers. Although the tree does not tolerate shade or extreme cold, it does grow well in a variety of moisture levels, fertility, and slope conditions. Black locust has nodules of nitrogen-fixing bacteria on its roots which make it an excellent species for re-vegetating poor and damaged soils. In addition, its tolerance for low pH has made the tree useful for strip-mine reclamation because it will grow on most soils as long as they are not wet or poorly drained. This tree tolerates a soil pH range of 4.6 to 8.2, the USDA Hardiness Zones between 4 and 9, and AHS Heat Zones between 9 and 3. Robinia is in the Fabaceae family of trees.
Robinia pseudoacacia bark is dark gray brown and tinged with red or orange inner bark showing through the grooves on the older outer bark. These grooves and ridges run up and down the trunk and often cross to form diamond shapes.
Black locust grows well in young woodlands and disturbed areas where sunlight is plentiful and the soil is dry. The dark blue-green compound leaves with a contrasting lighter underside give this tree a beautiful appearance in the wind and contribute to its grace. The leaves are up to 10" long and consist of many small leaflets on either side of a central petiole. The small leaflets result in the tree casting a filtered shade that permits shade-tolerant plants to grow underneath the tree.
There are several cultivars of Robinia pseudoacacia, mostly with flowers of pinks and reds. My favorite cultivar however is Twisty Baby which has contorted limbs, branches, leaves, and flowers. It does not seem to sucker as much as the species and it retains a nice controlled oval form as it grows, albeit with twisted and crooked branches that from a distance are not noticed.
Robinia is susceptible to locust borer and locust leaf miner. Other insect problems include caterpillars, weevils, scale and white flies. Possible disease problems include canker, powdery mildew, leaf spots, wood rots and verticillium wilt. However, none of these problems kill the tree or even discourage normal growth.
Tales
In 1636, Robinia pseudoacacia was the first tree species to be exported from North America to Great Britain and Europe, and it continues to provide nectar for the ‘acacia’ honey that is popular all over Europe. It has been widely grown and naturalized in Europe, Southern Africa, and Asia. Note: As a beekeeper when I was young, I had a special interest in this tree when it was covered with honeybees in the white flowers early every morning when the tree was in bloom. The flowers were followed with black seed pod. The mild fragrance in the air and the hum of the honeybee wings is still pleasant in my mind.
With fertilizer prices rising, the importance of black locust as a nitrogen-fixing species is also noteworthy. The mass application of fertilizers in agriculture and forestry is increasingly expensive; therefore nitrogen-fixing tree and shrub species are gaining importance in managed forestry.
Robinia pseudoacacia is the most frequently planted tree in the sandy and rapidly eroding soils of the south-western part of Romania and is currently representing 5% of all the forest land in Romania. This is because it tolerates the barren sandy desert soil. It has been successfully growing in forest rotation for several generations.
Robinia pseudoacacia root suckers are an important method of local reproduction. The main trunk also has the capability to grow sprouts and will do so after being cut down. This makes removal of black locust difficult as the suckers need to be continually removed from both the trunk and roots or the tree will regrow. This is considered an asexual form of reproduction. The suckers allow black locust to grow into colonies which are dense thickets that shade out competition, but provide excellent wildlife habitat and are extremely good for erosion control.
In a suburb west of Boston, MA where I spent the bulk of my career, we had a large clump of black locust right outside our government center railroad station. In the late spring, when the flowers opened, the trees were humming with honeybee activity. However, because of its location at a railroad/pedestrian crossing, it had to be removed and we spent several years trying to remove all the new suckers, before we finally resorted to herbicide. Even then, total kill required three years of repeated applications. This is one tough tree!!
Although Robinia pseudoacacia is considered a major honey plant in the eastern U.S., it does not always produce a reliable crop of nectar that bees will convert to honey. The nectar flow is very dependent on local weather conditions and in some years the flowers yield little or no nectar at all. The flowers, which bloom in long, white racemes, have both stamens and a pistil (male and female parts), and open sometime between April and June for about ten days. The honey has an unmistakable fruity fragrance and it is high in fructose, so it can be stored for long periods without crystallizing.
Black locust wood is pale yellowish brown; heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, and very durable in contact with the ground. It is often planted for the purpose of becoming a source of firewood, not only because of its fast growth but because the wood burns very hot. The Robinia pseudoacacia wood is one of the hardest woods in Northern America making it very resistant to rot. It is prized for furniture, flooring, paneling, fence posts, and small watercraft. Wet, newly cut planks have an offensive odor which disappears with age.
Black locust is appreciated for more than being just a tree that will grow anywhere, or their soft shade production, or the easy leaf cleanup every autumn. They are appreciated most for the almost pure white, clear honey that is produced by honeybees that visit the flowers on these trees every spring.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden, “Robinia pseudoacacia”, Plant Finder
- Virginia Tech, “Black Locust Robinia pseudoacacia”, V Tree.
- Wikipedia, “Robinia pseudoacacia”, 23 May, 2017
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA science credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
The Mueller Neighborhood
Edited by Len Phillips
In the Mueller neighborhood of Austin, Texas, there is a major project that is one of the first to achieve LEED certification for Neighborhood Development. (LEED is a national green building rating system. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The Mary Elizabeth Branch Park is providing residents with a newly SITES certified place to gather and play, making this the first project to combine these two rating systems in the world. (SITES is a sustainable program that encourages landscape architects, engineers and others toward practices that protect ecosystems and enhance the local benefits that provide our communities such things as climate regulation, carbon storage and flood mitigation.) There are several major housing projects also going up in the Mueller neighborhood.
The Mueller neighborhood was carefully designed to be a beacon of sustainable development through a partnership between the City of Austin and a local development company. This neighborhood is being developed on a former airport site with the goal of creating a sustainable, transit-oriented, mixed-use and mixed-income housing in the heart of the city.
Gail Vittori, a LEED Fellow, encouraged the Mueller team to apply for the pilot program of LEED for Neighborhood Development, noting that the rating system would provide a concrete, actionable guide to meet their ambitious sustainability goals. LEED validates emerging concepts, supported by a transparent process that enlists experts and public comment.
In 2009, the Mueller team achieved LEED for Neighborhood Development Gold certification, and became the largest Gold certified LEED project in the world. This effort resulted in:
Mueller is now home to 21 LEED certified spaces for their sustainability building practices, with 25 percent of Mueller’s residences participating in an ambitious affordable housing program, ensuring that a diverse array of residents can enjoy the health benefits of a green, sustainable and healthy home.
After witnessing the powerful benefits of LEED certification in the neighborhood for several years, it was evident that green certifications were a positive step for Mueller. That’s why the team behind Mueller’s Mary Elizabeth Branch Park pursued SITES certification for sustainable landscape development when it was time to break ground in 2017.
Mary Elizabeth Branch Park has something for everyone: a playground, waterscape, dog run, volleyball courts, a hillside viewing area, expansive open lawns, athletic fields, and enjoyable areas for all age groups. As the project team attempted to ensure it would also be sustainable, the numerous synergies between LEED and SITES made the adoption of the new rating system run more smoothly.
Tree Planting
Applying SITES strategies to the project had a direct impact on the design and distribution of program elements. Branch Park has created nature where there once was none. Over 200 trees were planted on the 3.5-acre site that was the former airport. The introduction of trees, plants and places for people promotes physical activity, restorative experiences and social interaction.
It is now home to the city’s most popular farmers’ market, with nearly 100 local and regional vendors. In addition to advancing the park’s ecological goals, these decisions create a unique, regionally appropriate civic space. The project not only features high levels of recycled materials, but most of the project’s materials are sourced from within 500 miles of the site, using native stone to replicate the Texas Hill Country landscape in which the park is situated. Many of those materials function as permeable pavers that are also part of the project’s stormwater management plan.
Branch Park’s original focus on native vegetation and re-greening paid off well. The park consists of 90 percent native vegetation. Elsewhere in the project, the plants used in the vegetative absorption zones are native and locally appropriate. Despite the extensive gardens in the park, less water is needed because of the use of drought-tolerant and adapted species. Native tree species provide shade for the site’s users and habitat for its wildlife dwellers. This cleverly designed park is a microcosm of Mueller’s overarching mission: one that works with the natural environment rather than against it, providing a safe, healthy, and sustainable neighborhood to call home.
The goal of creating a sustainable, transit-oriented, mixed-use and a mixed-income community in the heart of the city has been achieved. As of mid-2021, Mueller is home to 21 LEED certified spaces for their sustainable building practices. Through their LEED ND and SITES certifications, the Mueller teams continue to strive toward sustainable excellence.
Source
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Edited by Len Phillips
In the Mueller neighborhood of Austin, Texas, there is a major project that is one of the first to achieve LEED certification for Neighborhood Development. (LEED is a national green building rating system. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The Mary Elizabeth Branch Park is providing residents with a newly SITES certified place to gather and play, making this the first project to combine these two rating systems in the world. (SITES is a sustainable program that encourages landscape architects, engineers and others toward practices that protect ecosystems and enhance the local benefits that provide our communities such things as climate regulation, carbon storage and flood mitigation.) There are several major housing projects also going up in the Mueller neighborhood.
The Mueller neighborhood was carefully designed to be a beacon of sustainable development through a partnership between the City of Austin and a local development company. This neighborhood is being developed on a former airport site with the goal of creating a sustainable, transit-oriented, mixed-use and mixed-income housing in the heart of the city.
Gail Vittori, a LEED Fellow, encouraged the Mueller team to apply for the pilot program of LEED for Neighborhood Development, noting that the rating system would provide a concrete, actionable guide to meet their ambitious sustainability goals. LEED validates emerging concepts, supported by a transparent process that enlists experts and public comment.
In 2009, the Mueller team achieved LEED for Neighborhood Development Gold certification, and became the largest Gold certified LEED project in the world. This effort resulted in:
- creative solutions like solar panels to provide power to the many homes being built and photovoltaic outdoor art,
- a commitment to native vegetation and trees,
- an extremely effective district-scale storm water management system,
- diverting more than 63,000 tons of construction and demolition debris from landfills as of 2016,
- construction of Mary Elizabeth Branch Park.
Mueller is now home to 21 LEED certified spaces for their sustainability building practices, with 25 percent of Mueller’s residences participating in an ambitious affordable housing program, ensuring that a diverse array of residents can enjoy the health benefits of a green, sustainable and healthy home.
After witnessing the powerful benefits of LEED certification in the neighborhood for several years, it was evident that green certifications were a positive step for Mueller. That’s why the team behind Mueller’s Mary Elizabeth Branch Park pursued SITES certification for sustainable landscape development when it was time to break ground in 2017.
Mary Elizabeth Branch Park has something for everyone: a playground, waterscape, dog run, volleyball courts, a hillside viewing area, expansive open lawns, athletic fields, and enjoyable areas for all age groups. As the project team attempted to ensure it would also be sustainable, the numerous synergies between LEED and SITES made the adoption of the new rating system run more smoothly.
Tree Planting
Applying SITES strategies to the project had a direct impact on the design and distribution of program elements. Branch Park has created nature where there once was none. Over 200 trees were planted on the 3.5-acre site that was the former airport. The introduction of trees, plants and places for people promotes physical activity, restorative experiences and social interaction.
It is now home to the city’s most popular farmers’ market, with nearly 100 local and regional vendors. In addition to advancing the park’s ecological goals, these decisions create a unique, regionally appropriate civic space. The project not only features high levels of recycled materials, but most of the project’s materials are sourced from within 500 miles of the site, using native stone to replicate the Texas Hill Country landscape in which the park is situated. Many of those materials function as permeable pavers that are also part of the project’s stormwater management plan.
Branch Park’s original focus on native vegetation and re-greening paid off well. The park consists of 90 percent native vegetation. Elsewhere in the project, the plants used in the vegetative absorption zones are native and locally appropriate. Despite the extensive gardens in the park, less water is needed because of the use of drought-tolerant and adapted species. Native tree species provide shade for the site’s users and habitat for its wildlife dwellers. This cleverly designed park is a microcosm of Mueller’s overarching mission: one that works with the natural environment rather than against it, providing a safe, healthy, and sustainable neighborhood to call home.
The goal of creating a sustainable, transit-oriented, mixed-use and a mixed-income community in the heart of the city has been achieved. As of mid-2021, Mueller is home to 21 LEED certified spaces for their sustainable building practices. Through their LEED ND and SITES certifications, the Mueller teams continue to strive toward sustainable excellence.
Source
- Genesee Kortick and Sumner Byrne, “How Austin’s Mueller neighborhood is breaking new ground”, Sustainable Sites Initiative. July 12, 2021.
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Wood Wide Web
Edited by Len Phillips
Research has shown that beneath the surface floor of every forest and wood there is a complex underground web of roots, fungi and bacteria helping to connect trees, plants, and food to one another. This subterranean social network is nearly 500 million years old and has recently become known as the "Wood Wide Web". Recently an international study has produced the first global map of the "mycorrhizal fungi networks" dominating this secretive underground world.
Researchers from the Crowther Lab at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and Stanford University in the US used the database of the Global Forest Initiative, which covers 1.2 million forest plots containing 28,000 species, from more than 70 countries to study the “WWW”. Using millions of direct observations of trees and their symbiotic associations on the ground, the researchers built models from the bottom up to visualize these fungal networks for the first time. Prof Thomas Crowther reported, "It's the first time that we've been able to understand the world beneath our feet, but at a global scale."
Scientists recently reported that the planet Earth, is home to 3,424,000,000,000, that is 3.4 trillion trees. This means that there are 422 trees for every one of the 7,752,847,547 people on the globe. The scientists used the definition of a tree to be counted as a woody plant, that at breast height has a trunk that is at least 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter.
The research went on to study how important mycorrhizal networks are to limiting climate change and how vulnerable they are to the effects of it. Just like an MRI scan of the brain helps us to understand how the brain works, this global map of the fungi in the soil helps us to understand how global ecosystems work.
The researchers found that certain types of microorganisms live in certain parts of the world, and by understanding that, they were able to figure out how to restore different types of ecosystems and also how the climate is changing.
Losing chunks of the wood wide web by lumbering and land development, could well increase the feedback loop of warming temperatures and carbon emissions. Wildfires may result in the loss of trees, but most wildfire lands naturally reseed and restore the forest, albeit many years later.
Mycorrhizae Factor
Mycorrhizal fungi are those that form a symbiotic relationship with plants. There are two main groups of mycorrhizal fungi: arbuscular fungi (AM) that penetrate the tree's roots, and ectomycorrhizal fungi (EM) which surround the tree's roots without penetrating them.
EM fungi are mostly present in cool soil temperate and boreal systems, where they help lock up more carbon from the atmosphere. They are very vulnerable to climate change.
AM fungi are more dominant in the warm soil in the tropics where they promote fast carbon cycling.
According to the research, 60% of the world's trees are connected to EM fungi, but, as temperatures rise, these fungi and their associated tree species will decline and be replaced by AM fungi.
The types of fungi that support huge carbon stores in the soil are being lost and are being replaced by the ones that spew out carbon into the atmosphere. This could potentially accelerate climate change.
If there is not a reduction in carbon emissions by 2100, there could be a 10% reduction in EM fungi and the trees that depend on them.
The results of this finding can now serve as a basis for restoration efforts such as the UN's trillion tree campaign, by informing tree planters which types of tree species to plant in what particular area of the world. This study provides key information about which trees live where, and why.
Through our daily activities we are very much counting on the carbon in the soil staying there and continue accumulating. If we create conditions through changing the type of fungi that are interacting with plants in the soil, then those soils begin to stop accumulating carbon, or they start releasing carbon, and then the rate at which we are seeing change will start accelerating even more.
Source
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA science credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Edited by Len Phillips
Research has shown that beneath the surface floor of every forest and wood there is a complex underground web of roots, fungi and bacteria helping to connect trees, plants, and food to one another. This subterranean social network is nearly 500 million years old and has recently become known as the "Wood Wide Web". Recently an international study has produced the first global map of the "mycorrhizal fungi networks" dominating this secretive underground world.
Researchers from the Crowther Lab at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and Stanford University in the US used the database of the Global Forest Initiative, which covers 1.2 million forest plots containing 28,000 species, from more than 70 countries to study the “WWW”. Using millions of direct observations of trees and their symbiotic associations on the ground, the researchers built models from the bottom up to visualize these fungal networks for the first time. Prof Thomas Crowther reported, "It's the first time that we've been able to understand the world beneath our feet, but at a global scale."
Scientists recently reported that the planet Earth, is home to 3,424,000,000,000, that is 3.4 trillion trees. This means that there are 422 trees for every one of the 7,752,847,547 people on the globe. The scientists used the definition of a tree to be counted as a woody plant, that at breast height has a trunk that is at least 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter.
The research went on to study how important mycorrhizal networks are to limiting climate change and how vulnerable they are to the effects of it. Just like an MRI scan of the brain helps us to understand how the brain works, this global map of the fungi in the soil helps us to understand how global ecosystems work.
The researchers found that certain types of microorganisms live in certain parts of the world, and by understanding that, they were able to figure out how to restore different types of ecosystems and also how the climate is changing.
Losing chunks of the wood wide web by lumbering and land development, could well increase the feedback loop of warming temperatures and carbon emissions. Wildfires may result in the loss of trees, but most wildfire lands naturally reseed and restore the forest, albeit many years later.
Mycorrhizae Factor
Mycorrhizal fungi are those that form a symbiotic relationship with plants. There are two main groups of mycorrhizal fungi: arbuscular fungi (AM) that penetrate the tree's roots, and ectomycorrhizal fungi (EM) which surround the tree's roots without penetrating them.
EM fungi are mostly present in cool soil temperate and boreal systems, where they help lock up more carbon from the atmosphere. They are very vulnerable to climate change.
AM fungi are more dominant in the warm soil in the tropics where they promote fast carbon cycling.
According to the research, 60% of the world's trees are connected to EM fungi, but, as temperatures rise, these fungi and their associated tree species will decline and be replaced by AM fungi.
The types of fungi that support huge carbon stores in the soil are being lost and are being replaced by the ones that spew out carbon into the atmosphere. This could potentially accelerate climate change.
If there is not a reduction in carbon emissions by 2100, there could be a 10% reduction in EM fungi and the trees that depend on them.
The results of this finding can now serve as a basis for restoration efforts such as the UN's trillion tree campaign, by informing tree planters which types of tree species to plant in what particular area of the world. This study provides key information about which trees live where, and why.
Through our daily activities we are very much counting on the carbon in the soil staying there and continue accumulating. If we create conditions through changing the type of fungi that are interacting with plants in the soil, then those soils begin to stop accumulating carbon, or they start releasing carbon, and then the rate at which we are seeing change will start accelerating even more.
Source
- Marshall, Claire, BBC Environment Correspondent May 15, 2019, Science & Environment
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA science credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Dr. Erik Jorgensen
By Len Phillips
Dr. Erik Jorgensen assumed a leadership role in forestry by expounding the benefits of maintaining and managing trees in the cities, a concept that was considered revolutionary in 1965. He authored over 60 articles and scientific papers on tree diseases and urban forestry and developed studies and techniques to control the spread of tree diseases, especially Dutch Elm Disease (DED).
Early Years in Denmark
On October 28, 1921, Erik Jorgensen was born in Haderslev, Denmark, the only child of Johanne Jorgensen, a credit manager for a farmer’s credit union, and Eva Bromberg, a ballet dancer who ran a dance school in Ribe, Denmark. When Denmark was liberated in 1945 near the end of World War II, it was in many ways a shattered and divided country. With 3,000 Danes killed and much of the infrastructure in the country laid to waste, the country struggled to rebuild. In 1946, Erik began work in the Danish Forestry Experimental Station as well as being the Assistant in Silviculture at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural College. In 1949 he was appointed Assistant in Forest Pathology at the Department of Plant Pathology of the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural College, with his final Danish appointment occurring in 1953 as a Project Leader at the Danish Forestry Experiment Station.
Move to Canada
When a Canadian forest researcher saw a presentation of Jorgensen’s work in Holland, he was impressed and offered Erik a position in Canada. So, Erik, his wife Gitte, and their 2 daughters moved to Canada in 1955, at the invitation of the Canadian Department of Agriculture. Erik was appointed Research Officer in forest pathology at the field laboratory in Maple, ON. The family’s command of English was not wonderful, but everyone quickly learned it as they made every attempt to settle in their new home in nearby Toronto, where the Jorgensen girls were growing up.
The Dominion Forest Service asked Dr. Jorgensen to diagnose a problem in red pine plantations in both southern Ontario and Michigan. The US Forest Service had investigated the cause without success and as soon as Erik saw the affected trees, he knew the cause was a fungal root rot known as Fomes annosus.
In 1959 he left the federal service and eventually joined the University of Toronto (U of T) Faculty in the Forestry Department where he began a program to study the control of Dutch Elm Disease. DED was wreaking havoc in the urban forests of eastern North America. Jorgensen recognized that the importance of elm trees for Ontario’s communities was sufficient impetus for him to establish the Shade Tree Research Laboratory in an old milk factory bought by U of T in 1962.
In 1964, recognizing the important role that residents and communities would have in controlling Dutch Elm Disease, Dr. Erik established the DED Control Centre for Metropolitan Toronto & Region, as the predecessor to the Ontario Urban Forest Council.
The Invention of “Urban Forestry”
Erik was committed to professionalism and was an active life member of the Ontario Professional Foresters Association. In 1965, Bill Morsink and Jorgensen began studying aspects of the “urban” trees in the City of Toronto. The study had to include urban trees and because the municipal tree studies would be in urban Toronto, Erik devised the term “Urban Forestry”. In 1965, Jorgensen continued using the term “urban forestry” and it has since become accepted by foresters living and working in urban centers around the world.
In 1974, Jorgensen clearly defined urban forestry as: “A specialized branch of forestry that has as its objectives, the cultivation and management of trees for their present and potential contribution to the physiological, sociological and economic well-being of urban society. These contributions include the over-all ameliorating effect of trees on their environment, as well as their recreational and general amenity value.”
Ken Armson (2019) remembers that under Jorgensen, “… the Shade Tree Laboratory was an autonomous entity within the faculty with separate funding, which inevitably led to conflict within the faculty; a situation I shared in my own development and financial support for the Forest Soils Laboratory at Glendon Hall. This only strengthened our rapport.”
Matters came to a head with the appointment of a new Dean in 1972. In 1973, Jorgensen left to join the federal forest service, once again under a short-lived national urban forestry program that never fully developed. From there, Jorgensen became the Director of the Arboretum at the University of Guelph. During his time there, Jorgensen was instrumental in bringing a program in Agroforestry to the University, a discipline that was embryonic in the early ‘80s. “Erik was a visionary,” recalls Dr. Andy Kenney, former professor of urban forestry at the University of Toronto who knew Jorgensen as his Master’s supervisor at the University of Guelph. “Not only did he provide the first definition of urban forestry in the mid-1960s, but he was instrumental in the establishment of a program in agroforestry at the University of Guelph. Both concepts go back to the time of early human civilization, but Erik was in the vanguard of those transforming them into scientific disciplines.”
The Erik Jorgensen Legacy
Jorgensen’s legacy is reflected in the students whom he taught at the “Shade Tree Lab”. Most of them went on to lead urban forestry programs throughout Canada and around the world. One example in 1969 was a young forester from India, who went on to direct the U.S. National Capital Commission’s DED control program.
Over the intervening years, “urban forestry” evolved from relative obscurity to part of the global urban vernacular. Today, cities and towns around the world have urban forestry programs and departments. International conferences billed as “urban forestry” have taken place from Reykjavik to Buenos Aires and from Edmonton to Kuala Lumpur. Canadian college departments have incorporated “urban forestry” into their program descriptions. The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), a closely allied organization that Jorgensen supported throughout his career, renamed its influential research journal, “Arboriculture & Urban Forestry”.
He authored over 60 articles and scientific papers on tree diseases and urban forestry; founded the Ontario Shade Tree Council; and was a Life Member of the Ontario Professional Foresters Association, and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Forestry. He always advocated the planting of native species to regenerate Canada's natural heritage.
Today
The management of urban forests stress themes of tremendous importance, including public health, public policies ranging from asset management to sustainability certification, growth of forestry employment opportunities, and technical advances in vertical forests, hard surface techniques, LIDAR photography and species migration. All of which was made possible through Jorgensen’s pioneering work.
Many universities, colleges and institutions continue to embrace the concept of urban forests with courses and programs. Many are now offering urban forestry undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Urban forestry programs and funding are also offered by non-governmental organizations (NGO's) such as Tree Canada, Forests Ontario and The Nature Conservancy. Local urban forest NGO’s such as Trees Winnipeg and Toronto’s LEAF provide practical urban forestry services and information.
As Dr. Cecil Konijnendijk, the Director of the Nature Base Solutions Institute and Professor of Urban Forestry at the University of British Columbia so succinctly puts it, “Many of us urban forestry experts across the globe are gratefully working within and building on Erik Jorgensen’s legacy. There has perhaps never been a greater focus on urban trees and green spaces as we strive to make our cities more resilient, healthy, and vibrant.”
Erik Jorgensen passed away in Guelph on May 25, 2012, predeceased in April 2012 by his wife of 66 years, Gitte. His daughters remember him as, “A great father because of his compassion, a lover of the application of science and scientific methods to all problems in the natural world.”
Sources
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
By Len Phillips
Dr. Erik Jorgensen assumed a leadership role in forestry by expounding the benefits of maintaining and managing trees in the cities, a concept that was considered revolutionary in 1965. He authored over 60 articles and scientific papers on tree diseases and urban forestry and developed studies and techniques to control the spread of tree diseases, especially Dutch Elm Disease (DED).
Early Years in Denmark
On October 28, 1921, Erik Jorgensen was born in Haderslev, Denmark, the only child of Johanne Jorgensen, a credit manager for a farmer’s credit union, and Eva Bromberg, a ballet dancer who ran a dance school in Ribe, Denmark. When Denmark was liberated in 1945 near the end of World War II, it was in many ways a shattered and divided country. With 3,000 Danes killed and much of the infrastructure in the country laid to waste, the country struggled to rebuild. In 1946, Erik began work in the Danish Forestry Experimental Station as well as being the Assistant in Silviculture at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural College. In 1949 he was appointed Assistant in Forest Pathology at the Department of Plant Pathology of the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural College, with his final Danish appointment occurring in 1953 as a Project Leader at the Danish Forestry Experiment Station.
Move to Canada
When a Canadian forest researcher saw a presentation of Jorgensen’s work in Holland, he was impressed and offered Erik a position in Canada. So, Erik, his wife Gitte, and their 2 daughters moved to Canada in 1955, at the invitation of the Canadian Department of Agriculture. Erik was appointed Research Officer in forest pathology at the field laboratory in Maple, ON. The family’s command of English was not wonderful, but everyone quickly learned it as they made every attempt to settle in their new home in nearby Toronto, where the Jorgensen girls were growing up.
The Dominion Forest Service asked Dr. Jorgensen to diagnose a problem in red pine plantations in both southern Ontario and Michigan. The US Forest Service had investigated the cause without success and as soon as Erik saw the affected trees, he knew the cause was a fungal root rot known as Fomes annosus.
In 1959 he left the federal service and eventually joined the University of Toronto (U of T) Faculty in the Forestry Department where he began a program to study the control of Dutch Elm Disease. DED was wreaking havoc in the urban forests of eastern North America. Jorgensen recognized that the importance of elm trees for Ontario’s communities was sufficient impetus for him to establish the Shade Tree Research Laboratory in an old milk factory bought by U of T in 1962.
In 1964, recognizing the important role that residents and communities would have in controlling Dutch Elm Disease, Dr. Erik established the DED Control Centre for Metropolitan Toronto & Region, as the predecessor to the Ontario Urban Forest Council.
The Invention of “Urban Forestry”
Erik was committed to professionalism and was an active life member of the Ontario Professional Foresters Association. In 1965, Bill Morsink and Jorgensen began studying aspects of the “urban” trees in the City of Toronto. The study had to include urban trees and because the municipal tree studies would be in urban Toronto, Erik devised the term “Urban Forestry”. In 1965, Jorgensen continued using the term “urban forestry” and it has since become accepted by foresters living and working in urban centers around the world.
In 1974, Jorgensen clearly defined urban forestry as: “A specialized branch of forestry that has as its objectives, the cultivation and management of trees for their present and potential contribution to the physiological, sociological and economic well-being of urban society. These contributions include the over-all ameliorating effect of trees on their environment, as well as their recreational and general amenity value.”
Ken Armson (2019) remembers that under Jorgensen, “… the Shade Tree Laboratory was an autonomous entity within the faculty with separate funding, which inevitably led to conflict within the faculty; a situation I shared in my own development and financial support for the Forest Soils Laboratory at Glendon Hall. This only strengthened our rapport.”
Matters came to a head with the appointment of a new Dean in 1972. In 1973, Jorgensen left to join the federal forest service, once again under a short-lived national urban forestry program that never fully developed. From there, Jorgensen became the Director of the Arboretum at the University of Guelph. During his time there, Jorgensen was instrumental in bringing a program in Agroforestry to the University, a discipline that was embryonic in the early ‘80s. “Erik was a visionary,” recalls Dr. Andy Kenney, former professor of urban forestry at the University of Toronto who knew Jorgensen as his Master’s supervisor at the University of Guelph. “Not only did he provide the first definition of urban forestry in the mid-1960s, but he was instrumental in the establishment of a program in agroforestry at the University of Guelph. Both concepts go back to the time of early human civilization, but Erik was in the vanguard of those transforming them into scientific disciplines.”
The Erik Jorgensen Legacy
Jorgensen’s legacy is reflected in the students whom he taught at the “Shade Tree Lab”. Most of them went on to lead urban forestry programs throughout Canada and around the world. One example in 1969 was a young forester from India, who went on to direct the U.S. National Capital Commission’s DED control program.
Over the intervening years, “urban forestry” evolved from relative obscurity to part of the global urban vernacular. Today, cities and towns around the world have urban forestry programs and departments. International conferences billed as “urban forestry” have taken place from Reykjavik to Buenos Aires and from Edmonton to Kuala Lumpur. Canadian college departments have incorporated “urban forestry” into their program descriptions. The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), a closely allied organization that Jorgensen supported throughout his career, renamed its influential research journal, “Arboriculture & Urban Forestry”.
He authored over 60 articles and scientific papers on tree diseases and urban forestry; founded the Ontario Shade Tree Council; and was a Life Member of the Ontario Professional Foresters Association, and a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Forestry. He always advocated the planting of native species to regenerate Canada's natural heritage.
Today
The management of urban forests stress themes of tremendous importance, including public health, public policies ranging from asset management to sustainability certification, growth of forestry employment opportunities, and technical advances in vertical forests, hard surface techniques, LIDAR photography and species migration. All of which was made possible through Jorgensen’s pioneering work.
Many universities, colleges and institutions continue to embrace the concept of urban forests with courses and programs. Many are now offering urban forestry undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Urban forestry programs and funding are also offered by non-governmental organizations (NGO's) such as Tree Canada, Forests Ontario and The Nature Conservancy. Local urban forest NGO’s such as Trees Winnipeg and Toronto’s LEAF provide practical urban forestry services and information.
As Dr. Cecil Konijnendijk, the Director of the Nature Base Solutions Institute and Professor of Urban Forestry at the University of British Columbia so succinctly puts it, “Many of us urban forestry experts across the globe are gratefully working within and building on Erik Jorgensen’s legacy. There has perhaps never been a greater focus on urban trees and green spaces as we strive to make our cities more resilient, healthy, and vibrant.”
Erik Jorgensen passed away in Guelph on May 25, 2012, predeceased in April 2012 by his wife of 66 years, Gitte. His daughters remember him as, “A great father because of his compassion, a lover of the application of science and scientific methods to all problems in the natural world.”
Sources
- Armson, Ken, 2019. Personal communication.
- Cook, G.R., 1894. Report of the general superintendent of parks. Second Annual Report of the Board of Park Commissioners, Cambridge, Massachusetts, pp. 71–98.
- Jorgensen, E. 1993. The History of Urban Forestry in Canada. IN The Proceeding of the First Canadian Urban Forest Conference. Winnipeg MB. May 30 to June 2, 1993. Pages 14-18.
- Konijnendijk, C.C., Ricard, R.M., Kenney, A. and Randrup, T.B. 2006. Defining urban forestry – A comparative perspective of North America and Europe. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 4: 93-103.
- Ricard, R.M., 2005. Shade trees and tree wardens: revising the history of urban forestry. Journal of Forestry 103 (5), 230–233.
The test that follows contains 10 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
ISA will award .5 CEUs* for a passing grade. SAF members will earn 0.5 Cat. 1-CF for every five passing test scores. The cost for taking this test is $10. If you purchase an annual subscription for 15 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report all passing test scores to ISA and/or SAF. If you are a member of ISA and SAF we will report your passing test scores to both for no additional cost. Please be sure to add both of your certification numbers when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*Members of ISA may apply the 0.5 CEUs toward Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Worker/Climber, Utility Worker, Tree Worker/Aerial Lift, or BCMA management credits.
California UFC members will receive credit for passing the test. Please add your CaUFC number after your ISA and/or SAF certification number.
ASCA members may submit your ISA certification record to the ASCA and receive credits one for one.
MTOA members must follow the ISA instructions indicated above.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment online securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. Members with certifications from both ISA and SAF, please be sure to add both of your certification numbers. These numbers are important for reporting purposes.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks* after that. ISA maintains a record of CEU credits on their website.
*SAF requires 5 passing test scores before reporting.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.