©2023 International Society of Arboriculture & URBAN FORESTRY Volume 49, No. 6, November 2023 Formerly the Journal of Arboriculture, 1975 – 2005 (Volumes 1 – 31) CONTENTS Ryan W. Klein, Andrew K. Koeser, Larsen McBride, Richard J. Hauer, Laura A. Warner, E. Thomas Smiley, Michael A. Munroe, and Chris Harchick Evaluating the Reproducibility of Tree Risk Assessment Ratings Across Commonly Used Methods ............................................................................................................................ 271 Abstract. Background: Tree risk assessment methods have been developed to assist arborists in conducting thorough and systematic inspec- tions of trees and the threat they pose to people or property. While these methods have many similarities, they also have a few key differences which may impact the decisions of those employing them. Moreover, arborists specify the associated timeframe for their risk assessment, which can range from months to years. How this impacts risk assessment reproducibility is unknown. Methods: To assess the impact of risk assess- ment methodology, we sent videos depicting trees in urban settings to arborists holding the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Tree Risk Assessment Qualifi cation (TRAQ; n = 28) or Quantifi ed Tree Risk Assessment (QTRA; n = 21) training. These assessments were com- pared to those prepared by North American arborists lacking the TRAQ credential (ISA BMP; n = 11). ISA BMP arborists were also asked to assess trees using both a 1-year and a 3-year timeframe. Results: While a direct comparison between the QTRA and TRAQ assessments is not possible given differences in terminology, arborists with the latter training were less likely to rate trees as having “high” or “extreme” risk com- pared to their ISA BMP counterparts. Moreover, we found that switching to a longer timeframe did not increase the variability of risk assess- ments. Conclusions: These results give further insights into how different risk assessment methods compare when assessing the same group of trees as well as the impact of training efforts and specifi ed timeframe. Keywords. Hazard Tree; Likelihood of Failure; Professional Judgement; Risk Management; Risk Perception; Tree Safety; Urban Forestry. Rajan Parajuli, Stella Zucchetti Schons, Puskar Khanal, P. Eric Wiseman, Stephanie Chizmar, Austin Lamica, Jason Gordon, Thomas Ochuodho, James E. Henderson, Sayeed Mehmood, and Lara Johnson Perceived Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Private-Sector Urban and Community Forestry in the Southern United States ............................................................... 283 Abstract. Background: Private-sector urban and community forestry (U&CF) is a major segment of the green industry with substantial socio-ecological and economic contributions to urban and sub-urban communities. The COVID-19 pandemic reportedly caused heterogeneous impacts on businesses, the workforce, and various sectors of the overall economy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on private businesses carrying out U&CF activities in the Southern United States. Methods: Using data collected through an online survey distributed across the Southern USA in 2021, we developed and estimated an empirical model to evaluate the factors describing the perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on U&CF businesses in the region. Results: Results suggest that COVID-19 had, on average, a neutral impact on the U&CF activities performed by the private sector in the study region, but the perceived impacts varied by the industry types. Results from the ordered logistic regression suggest that nursery and garden supply stores were more likely than other businesses to have a positive impact of COVID-19 on the U&CF segment of their business. Similarly, business metrics such as the size of the company in terms of annual sales and revenues or longevity in the business were found to be signifi cant factors explaining the COVID-19 impacts on U&CF business. Conclusions: Our study fi ndings are useful for U&CF decisionmakers for better planning, prepared- ness, and programming of U&CF activities and businesses in the southern USA. Keywords. COVID-19 Pandemic; Green Industry; Ordered Logistic Regression; Private Businesses. Jan Esper, Paolo Cherubini, David Kaltenbach, and Ulf Büntgen London Plane Bark Exfoliation and Tree-Ring Growth in Urban Environments .................... 299 Abstract. Background: Bark exfoliation is a common feature of London planes (Platanus × acerifolia) that reportedly increases during periods of drought-induced stem shrinkage. Here, we explore the spatial patterns and potential drivers of plane bark exfoliation in Mainz, a central European city of 220,000 inhabitants, following the exceptional summer drought of 2018. Methods: We estimate the degree of bark exfoliation of 349 urban plane trees across the city and use stem microcores to analyze their tree-ring widths from 2006 to 2019. Further to impervious cover, settlement structure and vegetation cover in the vicinity of each tree, we investigate the relationships between bark exfoliation and tree, site, and climate factors. Results: Results indicate that plane bark exfoliation correlates signifi cantly with tree size and inner bark width ARBORICULTURE
November 2023
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