Home

User Manual - UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

1. lm For land owned by the U S or other eee i national government choose this Country United States Of America v option as well as the i State Province JE responsible for the land management County 18 In the United States options include DBH NFS National Forest System BIA Height has Bureau of Indian Affairs BLM Tree age Bureau of Land Management DOD DRAMA S Federal National Department of Defense and NPS Federal Type T National Park Service For all other ar federal government landowners REB choose Other on the Web site this is BOE not an option on the field report form BS For governments other than the U S Other federal government select the closest equivalent land management agency iris To enter information on USDA Forest Service or USDI National Park Service land the Web site allows for additional information Forest Service Region Forest Ranger District National Park or Monument and Campground Since the field report form does not provide space for this information record notes on these items in the Address Site line of the form if needed State province State or provincial lands and facilities including parks recreation sites government offices police stations National Guard centers and state maintained highway property including state maintained federal interstate highways and their interchanges County County owned property such as
2. the length of the failed portion the part on the ground to the length of the stub on the tree Use whole numbers 9 rather than decimals 8 75 or fractions 834 Is break at branch attachment Indicate whether the break occurred at the point where the branch was attached to the rest of the tree the crotch e No The failure did not occur at the point of attachment Enter how far the break was from the attachment the length of the stub remaining on the tree Use whole numbers e Yes The failure occurred at the point of attachment No length measurement is required even if there are splinters sticking out of the break International Tree Failure Database 28 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Section 4 Defects Associated with Branch Failure T section contains a list of common defects associated with branch failures Enter only structural defects that were associated with the branch failure Enter as many of these defects as were observed as long as they were significantly associated with the failure None No defects were apparent on the outside or inside of the branch Unknown You were not able to examine the branch completely and therefore were not able to say whether defects were present or a defect was present but you could not identify it Failed portion dead The branch was dead before failure occurred as indicated by lack of foliage dead buds wood discoloration wood moisture contact fungal growth lack of ba
3. EJ Lee T Ju or Injury D hasim mama Hiiiesg e ranen iiiki prala il nmmr ik Bere Completing the Entry t this point on the Web site you can submit the report by clicking on the Submit Report button Once this has been done the data cannot be changed You will be provided a verification of submission screen that also has a Form ID Number on it If you plan to save the paper copy of the field report form we recommend entering the Form ID number on the top right corner of the report form to verify that the data has been submitted and to act as a reminder not to submit the data again If several people working out of one office collect tree failure information the Cooperator name can be signed at the bottom of the report form to keep track of who inspected the failed tree The Date of inspection can also be entered Record Saved a entries made for this record have been saved regardbess of your next choice Meaie record the fallen j Porn 10 Su OF piur lree Failure Forni Form ID 4066 Hove would vas like to proceed Create a new report but start rili a copy ef cerrest data a new report hot start vith a clean slate AD dene Pith reparti Exit jan International Tree Failure Database 63 o lhe upper rbgbhl hand sie Following successful submission of a report on the Web site you will have three options e E
4. International Tree Failure Database 69 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Matheny N P and J R Clark 1994 A photographic guide to the evaluation of hazard trees in urban area Second edition ISA Press Champaign IL Smiley E T B R Fraedrich and N Hendrickson 2002 Tree Risk Management Bartlett Tree Research Laboratory Charlotte NC 44pp Zabel R A and J J Morrell 1992 Wood microbiology Decay and its prevention San Diego Academic Press Acknowledgments Thanks to the following people who contributed to this publication Steve Barnett Ed Hayes Diane Hildebrandt Joe O Brien Dr John Pronos Emma Smiley Jim Worrall International Tree Failure Database FO User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Form iD Nurber INTERNATIONAL TREE FAILURE DATABASE REPORT FORM General Tree mo Tree Genus Species Cultivar Country Stale Province County DEH om Height Ageia Trea Site Ownership O Private O Lily Other or unknown 2 TRUNK FAILURE Heg o imum above gade ha af broek ngide bai Defects Associated with Failure s Nene O Urmon D Faved coton dend Decay 0 Cancer Speces Cewe Croan O Flush cuis One Sided Laws ive cereum rate D bactuded Hare Bow CJ Crock D Sweencarected ieri Uncorecied ian O Cracke i waod Vertical Bonzanial yuy O inquiry Free Insect Mechance inuy g Loca
5. 2006 Section 5 Location of Branch Decay T This section characterizes damage caused by decay fungi if they were present and involved in the failure If fungi were not present skip this section and proceed with Section 6 Hardware Heartwood If the decay is a heart rot inner decay or heartwood decay the deteriorated Branch Decay or Injury wood will be mainly on the interior of iei qam the branch This type of decay may have openings to the outside but the O openings are usually surrounded by d Legion of Tome Lee i ROR T nondecayed wood If the tree had Yes canker rots or the combination of seemed heart rot and sapwood rot select both TUNE Heartwood and Sapwood Average depth of vaprinnd rui if rirrumlerears arrupsed Average sound wood thickness With heart rots there is usually sound wood surrounding the decay This sound wood contains sapwood and may also contain non decayed heartwood Measure the thickness of the wood outside the decay in at least three places around the circumference of the branch Do not include the thickness of ea A the bark in these measurements Take measurements at the m midpoint of the failure if the failure is not horizontal The average sound wood thickness equals the sum of the iE individual thickness measurements divided by the number of 5 measurements made Opening cavity at fail
6. oL m M T MM Mechanical injury A human caused injury that significantly weakened the tree as determined by the proximity of the injury to the failure point Examples include damage by vehicles string trimmers or mowers as well as vandalism with hatches axes saws and so on A nearby tree or severed branch can also cause mechanical injury by falling into the tree Injury caused by animals should be noted in the Animal injury category above ak REE ie bho di Girdling If tight wrapping caused significant mechanical constriction in trunk growth note it here Roots chains straps wire or other hardware can cause girdling This section does not include bark or sapwood removal by people or animals this type of girdling should be classified as mechanical injury if done by humans or animal injury if done by other animals P ea rz i Kg a at ali r International Tree Failure Database 22 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Section 5 Location of Trunk Decay T his section characterizes damage done by decay fungi if fungi were present and involved in the failure If fungi were not present or not involved in the failure skip this section and proceed with Section 6 Trunk Maintenance History Heartwood If the decay is a heart rot inner decay or heartwood decay the deteriorated wood will be mainly in the interior of the stem Cavities may be present and are usually surrounded by nondecaye
7. the system will disconnect and the previously Message Page entered data will be lost You have received the following system message User not logged in or Session expired Time out International Tree Failure Database 8 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Form ID number Record Saved Once a submission is accepted by the database it will be given a unique identification number You can enter this number in the upper right corner of the paper ot your hardcopy Troe Fallure Database Form ie e report form This verifies that the tree failure Form ID 4066 has been entered on the Web site Recording the form ID number is most useful if you retain the paper report form for future reference Record of reports you submit may also be used to receive discounts or rewards at regional ITFD meeting How Form ID number a pe made tor this rrcord have bren saved regardiess of your next nice How would wou like te oroceed Crpats a Papar hut chart with a copy ef current dala Create neve report but start with clean slate dane with reparis Exil system Exi Measurement Units Data can be entered using metric or English American Imperial units The default system is English Click the Switch to Metric Data Entry box on the first page of the Web based data ass oe lajer entry screen to change to metric _ be Once a selection has been made d Weather all entr
8. Dasson inkrmatios Petira UND Cell phone GPS minutes and seconds A link is provided to the Federal Communications Commission Audio Division Web http www fcc gov mb audio bick el DDDMMSS decimal html for converting locations from minutes and seconds to decimal degrees To avoid difficulties associated with converting to NAD83 set your GPS unit to NAD83 and decimal degrees prior to data collection Degrees Minutes Seconds and Decimal Degrees Latitude Longitude Conversions WE Shortcuts M This permits the weer to convert latibude and longtude between decimal m m degrees aud degrees maiar kd decor For corarep wo a bnk sp te Mee Burma HOIDHE the National Geodetic Survey s MADCON program which allows conversions Ihe ADH eaanknale tyifam and the dder ADS eerie Dotumants prstem N D27 coordinates are presently used for broadcast autborzabons and applcatend Convert Degrees Minutes Bebonds to Decimal Degrees Lan Tot Latte Leora buck Buntes 1 Pires Cinar the Data Pesrees Federal Communications Commission Audio Division Website International Tree Failure Database 13 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Section 2 Failure Type ection 2 15 a required field This S section answers one question What part of the tree failed Categorize the failure as a trunk branch or root failure Upon making a selection 07 answer que
9. Personal injury DOFire O Power outage O Removal of this tree D Loss of othertrees O Other damage Property damage estimate US Cleanup costs 5 US f personal injury describe below Additonal Comments injury target damage etc name Dee Please enter data http fteweb fs fed us natfdb TED Field Form Revised 12 16 2004 International Tree Failure Database Ta User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006
10. U S Department of Defense Epicormic Shoot that arises from a latent or adventitious bud on roots stems or branches An upright growing branch uncharacteristic of the tree species Epiphyte A plant growing on but not nourished by another plant Examples include Spanish moss vines ball moss and bromeliads International Tree Failure Database 66 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Failure tree Physical breakage of the tree trunk one or more branches or one or more tree roots Flush cut Pruning technique in which both branch and stem tissue are removed generally considered poor practice Gall In branches roots and stems an abnormal localized growth generally seen as a large knob of undifferentiated woody tissue Girdling roots Roots that grow around the trunk in a circular manner constricting other roots or restricting trunk growth GPS Global positioning system latitude and longitude derived from satellite data Grade change A layer of soil that 15 added fill or removed cut from around a tree Ground cover A plant that grows in the soil beneath a tree Usually an herbaceous plant such as ivy or myrtle Guy Hardware used to provide support to the tree following transplanting or root failure Installed from the trunk or a lateral branch to an anchor placed in the ground Heartwood Wood toward the center of a stem or root that has become physiologically inactive Heartwood is often darker than sapwood and often more r
11. e Yard garden Sites located on private home sites including sites both in front of and behind houses e Park A public or private park like settings within or adjacent to an urban area This includes cemeteries International Tree Failure Database 5 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 e Golf course Trees growing in or adjacent to a private or public golf course e Parking lot Trees adjacent to or within a designated and paved parking lot These trees must have pavement within the dripline on at least one side of the tree e Other remaining settings including agricultural sites eg farms fields ranches orchards You may describe these conditions in the Additional Comments part of Section 9 Aspect If the tree 1s growing on a slope determine the direction or bearing of the slope face Enter that direction as the aspect Slope If the tree is on a slope determine the amount of slope as measured in degrees The following illustrations shows angles with degrees labeled 40 27 AU 12 International Tree Failure Database 58 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Date time of failure e Date Season unknown You were not able to determine the date or time of the failure e Date of failure If known enter the month day and year for example enter December 9 2004 a 12 9 2004 Also enter the Time of the failure if it is known or the time of the peak of a storm in which the tree fell if that is known e Season
12. many years prior to the time of failure the construction took place Pruning history If there 15 no evidence of pruning select No pruning If the tree has been pruned give the type of pruning if known see below Types of pruning are described in the American National Standard Institute A300 Standard _ for tree care Additional information on these standards can be found at the ANSI A300 Standards for Tree Care Operations Web site http www natlarb com content laws a 300 htm at the International Tree Failure Database 93 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 ANSI Tree Care Web site http www ansi org news_publications media_tips tree_care aspx menuid 7 or at the International Society of Arboriculture Standards and Practices Web site https secure isa arbor com comersus store comersus_listCategoriesAndProducts asp idCategory 32 Pruning types include th Cleaned e following Selective pruning to remove dead diseased and or broken branches Lion s tailed An improper practice of removing all or most secondary and tertiary branches from the interior portion of the crown leaving most live foliage at the edge of the canopy Thinned Selective pruning to reduce the density of live branches in the crown Proper thinning is hard to detect since only 10 to 25 percent of small branches 1 2 to 2 inches 1 to 5 cm diameter at the cut were removed from near the edge of the crown Excessive thinning is the rem
13. office complexes maintenance facilities jails or detention centers parks recreational facilities and county maintained roads Municipal City hall building grounds or complexes cemeteries parks maintenance facilities golf courses recreation facilities greenways and city owned streetside trees Street trees on private property in the street or road ROW are not included here Other or unknown Land ownership is unknown and could conceivably be more than one other type as listed here Other or unknown State Province County Municipal International Tree Failure Database LZ User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Address site name Enter the physical street address of the site facility name or name of the campground municipal park trailhead or other site descriptor Although the name and order are slightly different on the report form this information corresponds to the Additional description of site location on the Web site This information may assist the cooperator with retrieving or sorting trees that were submitted GPS Latitude and longitude Enter the physical location of the tree as described in latitude and longitude using a geographic positioning system GPS receiver The ITFD employs the NAD83 system s a Locations are Audie Division Degree imme seconde tolo m emque described decimal degrees rather than j i Quick Landon bo Audo
14. on wood and associated callus production Select this item only if the crack was present prior to the tree failure h x iz is Es x 1 443 Crack in branch is Mistletoe or epiphyte Select this item if a significant population of mistletoe or an epiphyte on the failed branch caused the failure Epiphytes include vines ball moss Spanish moss resurrection ferns and bromeliads Mistletoe includes both leafy and dwarf species Include dodder and other parasitic plants only if present at significant levels Describe the epiphyte or parasite in the Additional Comments part of Section 9 Mechanical injury Injury that has significantly weakened the tree as determined by the proximity of the injury to the failure point Mechanical injury may be caused by vehicle or tool damage vandalism with hatches axes saws and so on This category excludes damage from animals International Tree Failure Database o User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Lightning injury The quintessential lightning strike leaves a vertical line of missing bark and a valley in the sapwood midway between the bark edges Lightning injury may also be seen as areas of missing patches of bark and wood vertical lines with exposed wood or shattered stems If lightning injury predisposed the wood to decay select this item as well as Decay Insect injury The main type of injury of concern is that caused by wood borers termites carpenter ant
15. other signs of decay Indicate whether fungal structures or other signs of the fungus were visible prior to the failure These structures must be caused by wood decay fungi associated with the failure they include mushrooms conks mycelial fans rhizomorphs bracket fungi bracts and other decay fruiting structures If structures were visible or if positive diagnosis of the decay fungus can be made from other features of the decay and the name of the decay fungus is known enter it after Name Please indicate the genus and or species not the common name Distance from nearest conk to failure point Where fungal fruiting structures are apparent on the trunk or root collar determine the closest distance between the fruiting structures and the point of failure Enter O if structures are at the point of failure International Tree Failure Database 23 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Section 6 Hardware Trunk Maintenance History F nter all hardware or maintenance items that were present on the trunk likely to have contributed to the failure or were present and did not prevent the failure None Select None 1f an item on the following list was not involved in the failure or was not present in the tree Girdling hardware A wire rope fence webbing trunk wrap guy metal strap or other piece of hardware was wrapped partially or completely around the stem and contributed to the failure Guying If a guy wire connec
16. percentage of roots decayed This can be calculated by dividing the number of buttress roots with significant decay by the total number of buttress roots on the tree and multiplying the result by 100 If it is not possible to determine the number of roots use a percentage of the circumference of the butt or lower portion of the trunk that has decayed roots associated with it Conks mushrooms other signs Indicate whether fungal fruiting structures or other signs of the fungus were present Signs include mushrooms conks bracts brackets mycelial fans rhizomorphs and other fruiting structures If you can identify the fungus enter the scientific Name genus and species or genus only if available Type Wood decay is categorized by the components of the xylem that are digested by the decay fungus and the resulting appearance In brown rot only polysaccharides cellulose and hemicelluloses are substantially degraded In white rot all wood components including polysaccharides and lignin are degraded Decay produced by white rots tends to have a whitish coloration and residual fibrous texture and decay produced by brown rots often has a brown color and little fibrous texture Brown rotted wood shrinks and breaks readily across the grain so it is often called cubical brown rot If the type of decay is not known select Unknown If the decay is a brown rot or white rot select the appropriate item International Tree
17. sapwood midway between the bark edges Lightning injury may also be seen as areas of missing patches of bark and wood vertical lines with exposed wood shattered stems or bark totally removed from the xylem Lightning may also spiral down a stem Animal injury t Animals can create many d types of damage to a tree The presence of tooth or claw marks in the sapwood or bark may indicate activity of porcupines squirrels bear deer beaver pigs horses goats or voles If the animal injury was the most likely entry for decay fungus select both Animal injury and Decay Fire injury Damage caused by fire is commonly seen as blackening and charring of the bark or xylem usually within several yards meters of the ground line Trees near houses that have burned or where forest fires or prescribed burns were severe will have symptoms at higher levels in the trees In forests many trees in the area will usually have the same symptoms if fire was the cause of failure International Tree Failure Database 21 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Insect injury The primary injury of concern is that caused by wood borers termites carpenter ants or other wood feeders Bark beetles shot hole borers sucking insects e g aphids scales adelgids or other insects that do not bL UT significantly weaken the wood structure should not be Ree j included even though they may have actually killed the tree FL akii
18. the LiPo posrer rar Cer sura DANGOUCS Download the MFO poster for pnnting to a color plotter Personnel Digital Assistant PDA Download PDA Installation for first time users Doxnioad PDA Upgrade Wo upgrade needed at tus ime Training and User Manuals Download the eer Guide Draft Version Download the Training Instructors Download the MFO Regional Coordmators International Tree Failure Database 64 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Glossary ANSI American National Standards Institute Aspect The compass direction that a slope faces BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs U S Department of the Interior BLM Bureau of Land Management U S Department of Interior BMP Best management practice Bolting bracing Installation of metal rods through weak portions of a tree Bow A type of uncorrected lean characterized by the lower portion of the stem growing more vertically than the upper portion or an equal curve from the top to the bottom The top of the tree may be in contact with the ground Branch Secondary division of tree trunk a stem arising from the central leader Branch attachment The structural union of a lateral limb to the trunk or another branch Branch failure Breakage of a scaffold or lateral limb either at or away from the attachment to the trunk Brown rot A type of decay in which fungi degrade polysaccharides cellulose and hemicelluloses in the cell walls creating a brown color in the decayed wood Most common i
19. the time of tree failure select Failed If the brace rod did not break during or before the failure select Intact International Tree Failure Database Prop Props are mechanical devices that hold up branches or stems They are usually wood beams or metal pipes installed below the stem or a branch linking it to the ground Occasionally props have multiple vertical or angled legs or an A frame If a prop was present and the tree moved horizontally rolling off the prop or the prop or prop anchor broke select Failed If the prop survived the failure select Intact 2 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Section 3 Branch Failure Specifics ranch failures occur in an aboveground portion of Uf the tree that is not a trunk or main stem Branch diameter at break measured inside bark This is a required field when Branch Failure is selected Measure the branch diameter at or close to the break in an area representative of the branch diameter at the break If the break is angled measure the diameter near the center of the break If measuring with a diameter tape subtract two times the bark e thickness to obtain the diameter of only pene Se ee Cee the branch mA ae Total length of failed branch feet meters Measure the entire length of the failed branch from its point MLY of attachment to the small twigs at the tips of the branch If h the failure occurred at a point other than the junction add
20. tree trunk recognized by off vertical growth in the lower stem and more vertical growth of the upper stem a sweep Crack A failure of wood fibers creating either a longitudinal or horizontal split in the wood Crook An abrupt bend in the branch or trunk A crook may have been the result of thinning to a lateral branch branch breakage death of the leader or topping cuts Crown Portion of the tree that bears leaves and branches from the lowest branch to the topmost leaf DBH Diameter at breast height Diameter of the trunk measured at 4 5 feet 1 4 m 55 inches above the ground the same as DSH diameter at standard height Decay Process of degradation of structural woody tissues by fungi through the decomposition of cellulose hemicelluloses and lignin Decline A symptom of tree disease or disorder characterized by progressive dieback of branches and loss of leaves Decline is also used to refer to the discoloration of leaves dieback of branches premature leaf drop excessive watersprouting and other symptoms generally affecting stands of trees In this general context decline may better be replaced with specific symptoms Dense crown A tree crown that is relatively heavy or poses high wind resistance due to an excess of major scaffold branches or minor branches and shoots It is difficult to see the sky through a dense crown Directional pruning Pruning to a lateral branch with the goal of directing future growth DOD
21. 1 1 May 2006 surface soil is compacted note this in the Other site conditions section below rather than in this section e Other Include conditions that affect downward root growth not listed above here A description of these conditions may be given in the Additional Comments part of Section 9 Other site conditions This section includes other conditions that had an effect on the tree failure such as e Soil eroded from around roots Soil has been washed out or otherwise removed from around the buttress roots of the tree This is often seen along streams shorelines places where water flows across the soil surface or in association with some digging animals e Compaction Surface soil can be compacted by construction and other human or animal activities This category 15 for surface soil compaction rather than the subsoil compaction in the previous section Compaction must be high enough to have restricted root development e Grade change This includes both soil cuts and fills within the dripline of the tree Grade change is usually associated with construction around the tree but may also be caused by landslides or other natural actions Do not include cuts or fills of less than 2 inches 5 cm e Well surrounding the trunk If fill soil was brought into the dripline area of the tree but was limited by a well around the trunk select this item rather than the Grade change International Tree Failure Database 4
22. 4 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 e Fill soil against trunk or planted too deep Select this item when buttress roots are not visible this can be selected in conjunction with Grade change or other factors However if the soil against the trunk is due to deep planting select this item only e Depth of excess soil If Fill soil is selected enter the depth of the soil feet or meters above the first horizontal section of buttress root or above the natural grade Fill soil against trunk Normal root flare present no fill soil International Tree Failure Database 45 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Section 4 Defects Associated with Root Failure his section contains common defects that are associated with root or soil related failures You may check as many of these defects as needed as long as they were associated with the failure None No defects were apparent on the outside or inside of the buttress roots Unknown You were not able to examine the roots completely and therefore were not able to say whether defects were present or a defect was present but it could not be identified This category 1s not the same as None Fire scar injury Damage caused by fire was visible on the buttress roots of the tree Fire injury is commonly seen as blackening and charring of the bark or xylem usually within several yards meters of the ground line Trees near houses that have burned or where forest fires or prescribed burns were severe wil
23. Failure Database 49 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Section 6 Surface Treatments eport the condition of the soil surface for root or soil related failures If you are not able to determine the condition of the soil surface select Unknown Common surface treatments are described below Mulch Mulch consists of organic materials added on top of the soil such as wood chips pine bark pine needles shredded cypress bark shredded and colored wooden pallets or other materials Do not include gravel or rock ground cover in this category Bare soil Areas where there is no other vegetation around the trunk of the tree due to herbicide use hand weeding or natural factors Turf Grass growing to the trunk of the tree Ground cover Ground covers include plants that were installed to grow around the trunk such as ivy myrtle pachysandra and other low growing species International Tree Failure Database 50 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Natural forest litter Plant matter on the forest floor including dead leaves twigs and sparse growth of other herbaceous and woody plants are considered to be natural forest litter Gravel rock Gravel is inorganic mulch material added around the trunk including river rock volcanic rock sharp gravel limestone and marble chips Pavement Select this item if the tree was planted after or before paving was installed Pavement includes brick pavers concrete and
24. Failure Report Form For ease of reference a copy of o Mame the report form is included at the end of this manual Copies of the report form can be downloaded from the ITFD Web site t http ftcweb fs fed us natfdb under Help and Downloads or by going directly to http ftcweb fs fed us natfdb ITFD_F orm_12_17_04 pdf Downloads from the ITFD Depending upon the type of failure root trunk or branch seven or eight fields must be completed in order to make a valid report Required fields are marked with an asterisk on the paper report form Required fields for all types of failure are e tree genus and species e state or province and country where the tree was located e diameter at breast height e type of failure trunk branch or root For a trunk failure the height of failure above grade and diameter at the break are also required For a branch failure the diameter of the failed limb at the break point is required For root failure the nature of the failure is required International Tree Failure Database 4 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 While only a limited number of fields are required more comprehensive reports are desirable The more complete the information the greater the value of the report In any case it 1s better to enter a small amount of information than none at all Some items in the report including trunk diameter and branch length require accurate measurement While an
25. International Tree Failure Database User Manual Prepared to accompany the International Tree Failure Database http ftcweb fs fed us natfdb E Thomas Smiley PhD Bartlett Tree Research Laboratory Charlotte NC Nelda Matheny HortScience Pleasanton CA Jim Clark PhD HortScience Pleasanton CA March 2005 Revised May 2006 Preparation of this publication was supported by grant 04 DG 11052021 133 from the USDA Forest Service International Tree Failure Database User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 International Tree Failure Database 1 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Contents liu m 3 Getting Online with the ITED c c cccccccccccccccsssceecsesssvsvsessssssveccccccsstecenesesssssrsessssssvescees 7 Completing the Field Report Form and Reporting a Failure 8 Section T General Tree Informations a et shel tee bug awd sieves Pal ree auod 10 Secon decide S 14 Section Suis Palur 16 Section 4 Defects Associated With Trunk 17 NECHON o Locauom ot Drunk DECA 23 Section 6 Hardware Trunk Maintenance History ccccccccccccececeeeeeeeeeeeesssssseeeeeeeeeeeeees 26 section 3 Branch Pail re eed e 28 Section 4 Defec
26. Make at least three measurements or visual estimates of sapwood decay thickness around the circumference of the branch The measurements should not include bark thickness The average sapwood rot thickness equals the sum of the individual thickness measurements divided by the number of measurements taken Circumference rotted If sapwood rot is present give the percentage of the circumference that was decayed If the decay entirely circles the branch at the plane of failure enter 100 percent If the decay encompasses less than 100 percent of the circumference determine the percentage of the circumference that 1s rotted The percentage of the circumference rotted equals the length of the circumference rotted divided by the diameter of the stem at the same height with the result multiplied by 100 Enter a whole percentage number 15 not the decimal equivalent 0 15 Type of decay Wood decay is categorized by the components of the xylem that are digested by the decay fungus and the resulting appearance In brown rot only the polysaccharides cellulose and hemicelluloses are substantially degraded In white rot all wood components including polysaccharides and lignin are degraded Decay produced by white rots tends to have a whitish coloration and residual fibrous texture and decay produced by brown rots often has a brown color and little fibrous texture Brown rotted wood shrinks and breaks readily across the grain so it is often called cubi
27. Mulch aci O D Ground cover O Heira fon liar Otter User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 E ADDITIONAL INFORMATION O No Thinning At time of failure the tree was Proper Excessive O Dead O Oedining Alive Reduction Directional pruning Was there construction around this tree O Piper O Excessive O Crown raised s of height I Yes when years ago O Topped Diameter of stub at cut Habitat Information vicinity of the faded iree O Forest Campground ON Picnic area Trailhead OE OSE Other deweloped forest site Os oO SW History of prior failures at sita O Commercial site Institution OW NW Street tree Median Urban O Not applicabile Fla Road side Rural Slope Utility right ol way O No slope O 5 Yard Garden O 5 15 15 30 Park Urban Golf course O 30 45 245 Parking lot 2 Other Date Time of Failure D Date Season Unknown Date of failure Me Day Yry OR Season ol laiture Time of fadture hour O Spring OSummer Winier QAM OFM OUnknown Year Bl WEATHER AND OTHER FORCES AT TIME OF FAILURE 1 Unknown Temperature approx FPC Wind speed approx mplvkph Precipialion Mone O Rain Snow Unknown GI CAUSE RESULT OF TREE FAILURE Resuk of tree failure O None No damage other than the failure described O Property damage O
28. ability in cladding imas and reduce fature potential in Totale TE ee carm prfeggkonas In Calif rmia am rocperaing intnig pg eystarmiadcaty Inspecting len trees er mee pans and paring iure doles for anliy mto me CTET P database To date ierember 1 2007 37 11 faire reports hiri been filed A sume demus BHERETIME is o eonperitore 3nd an Annual Meran JST pecina iggues releeani ta hazard agsessmoer s and Fee failures is presented in January of each yea Treefall nftormanon Links Thea Sranisticg hor marier Hin ta lex one ai cooper Digna Pos in oues Peel California Tree Failure Report Program The ITFD operates in the following manner Information on each failed tree 1s recorded on a standard report form and then submitted to the program s database through its Web site http ftcweb fs fed us natfdb Over time the results will be assembled and analyzed and reports International Tree Failure Database User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 will be prepared and made available Ultimately this database will improve detection and understanding of tree hazards prior to failure For the to be successful active input from cooperators around the world is essential Tree managers foresters and arborists can become cooperators by attending a training session Ideally every cooperator would report at least four failures per year We anticipate that professionals
29. as been well received by the arboricultural community and has developed tree failure profiles of common California tree species Due to the success of the CTFRP the USDA Forest Service in cooperation with the International Society of Arboriculture ISA developed the ITFD a similar system that can used throughout the world Introduction Tree failures especially in urban areas and outdoor recreation areas often result in property damage or personal injury While many of these failures predictable there remains a dearth of information on species failure tendencies as well as the importance of specific tree Structural defects site disturbances and weather events associated with failures The International Tree Failure Database ITFD collects information on tree failures evaluates the patterns of failure and disseminates analysis for use in managing trees and enhancing public safety University of California Main aem oo 3 Failure Farar posl question P Ti Caltornia Iree i wi EN C Ia Tr fall ntroduction Tha Calittzenia Tree F lura Raped Program CTF RF was estss shad in 1997 fn collect quaestio gn Th mechanic OF urban toes Trunk breaks br nch bres ar grnasangs This imiia r amp irse TO Tale for and species mora ALOU assess failure prob
30. asphalt but does not include gravel walks driveways or raised wood decks Other Surface treatments not listed above are included in this group You may describe these conditions in the Additional Comments part of Section 9 More than one treatment type can be selected if there is more than one treatment within the tree s dripline International Tree Failure Database 51 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Irrigation If there is an irrigation system installed around the tree select one of the four choices that describe its usage e Unknown The usage pattern is not known e Infrequent Water is rarely applied such as only during droughts or on a schedule that is less than or equal to once every two weeks e Frequent Irrigation is run daily to weekly e Never An irrigation system is present but not used International Tree Failure Database G2 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Section 7 Additional Information T his section applies to all failure types Tree condition and pruning history tree failure details Were the defects associated with failure visible before the tree failed In trying to predict tree failures it 1s important to know if a defect that was associated with the failure was externally visible to a trained observer prior to the failure Sometimes it is hard to determine whether the defect was visible in that case select Unknown Select Yes if the most important defect was visible prior to the failure if it
31. cal brown rot If the type of decay is not known select Unknown If the decay is a brown rot or white rot select the appropriate item If there is decay in both the sapwood and heartwood caused by a canker rot fungus select Canker rot More than one selection can be made but do not select additional items if unknown white rot or brown rot are selected Select two items only if one of them 15 canker rot International Tree Failure Database 34 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Conks mushrooms other signs of decay Indicate whether fungal fruiting structures or other signs of the fungus visible prior to the failure These structures must be from wood decay fungi associated with the failure and include mushrooms conks mycelial fans bracket fungi bracts and other decay fruiting structures If structures were visible or if positive diagnosis of the decay fungus can be made from other features of the decay and the name of the decay fungus 15 known enter in after Name Please indicate the genus and or species not the common name Distance from nearest conk to failure point Where fruiting structures are apparent on the branch determine the closest distance between the fruiting structures and the point of failure Enter O if structures are at the point of failure Measurements are in feet or meters International Tree Failure Database oo User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Section 6 Hardware Branch Maintenance History nter all har
32. can visually estimate the height to a break the 3 y diameter of the tree or branch may need to be more accurately measured using diameter tape The length of a fallen tree or tree parts on the ground can either be measured with a tape measure paced off to acquire acceptable accuracy In general the smaller the tree part the more accurately it should be measured Measuring tree parts with a tape measure At this time the ITFD cannot accept photographs This capacity may be added at a future date We encourage cooperators to take photographs for their own files and save them for future inclusion in the database or to present at regional ITFD meetings Not all failure situations can be covered by the ITFD program EU EDS Gem ENTM UN Cooperators are encouraged to BEARES mg Tree Fail re Database use professional judgment ins OE V7 tat Supplemental information can be d entered in the Additional 2 DTP Additional Comments Comments part of Section 9 of ds th t f d If vag iter e report form and program Ifa situation or feature not found in s Code the report form is common in u s MET EM em re im Der ner your area please notify the system administrator for possible International Tree Failure Database D User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 inclusion in future ITFD revisions The Web site permits entering only one tree fail
33. cs that led to the failure Site soil conditions Enter the following soil information regardless of which type of root failure was involved Soil composition The predominant soil texture component of the soil at the failure site If this 1s not known select Unknown International Tree Failure Database 42 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Soil moisture at the time of failure Estimate the relative water content of the soil at the time the failure occurred If the water content was not known for example if you are examining the site some time after the failure select Unknown Dry soil indicates that there was no rain immediately prior to the failure and that any irrigation system present was not operated immediately prior to the failure Saturated indicates that there was a significant amount of rain prior to the failure or an irrigation system provided excess irrigation but no freestanding water was present on top of the soil If the hole left by the root plate 1s partially filled with water it typically indicates a saturated condition Moist indicates that there had been adequate rain or irrigation recently so that the soil was neither dry nor saturated Flooded indicates that the area around the tree had been covered with standing or moving water at the time of failure and the soil was saturated with water Restricted rooting depth Select items in this section if the soil beneath the tree was impenetrable or inhospitable to
34. cweb fs fed us nat fdb using the Help and Download tabs or printed directly from the link http ftcweb fs fed us nat fdb ITFD Form 12 17 0 4 pdf A PDA based data collection and report system become available in the future An ITFD training class At the end of the training session you will have the opportunity to become a cooperator receiving a user name and password to access the Web site reporting screens Notify the site administrator wo_ftcol_natfd fs fed us if you experience any problems accessing the Web site Check the Web site routinely for updates of the report form system changes and meeting announcements It is the cooperator s responsibility to notify the system administrator of any change in their e mail address Those wishing to become ITFD trainers must complete an approved training class acquire the current version of the ITFD training presentation and be approved by the ITFD steering committee Contact the system administrator for more information International Tree Failure Database J User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Completing the Field Report Form and Reporting a Failure he paper based ITFD Report Form mirrors the Web site s report entry format The order of data entry and the terms employed are the same in both It 1s assumed that in most cases cooperators would make field observations on the paper report form and report data via the Web site The upper left corner of the report form gi
35. d wood If the tree had canker rots or the combination of heart rots and a sapwood rot select both Heartwood and Sapwood Average sound wood thickness With heart rots there is usually sound wood surrounding the decay This sound shell contains sapwood and may also contain nondecayed heartwood Do not include partially decayed wood in the sound wood thickness Measure the thickness of the wood outside the decay in at least three places around the circumference of the trunk Do not include the thickness of the bark in these measurements Take measurements at the midpoint of the failure if the failure 1s not horizontal The average sound wood thickness equals the sum of the individual thickness measurements divided by the number of measurements made Opening cavity at failure Heart rots often have an opening to the outside known as a cavity opening or simply a cavity If the line of failure included the cavity opening select Yes and determine the opening s percentage of the trunk circumference Occasionally there is a thin layer of dry wood with decay behind it and no bark over the front this would be included as a cavity opening The percentage of cavity opening equals the width of the cavity at the point of failure divided by the circumference of the trunk at cavity height with the result multiplied by 100 In some cases it may be necessary to visually estimate the percentage of cavity opening rather than measuring it Enter a
36. dware or maintenance items that were on the branch likely to have contributed to the failure or were present and did not stop the failure None Select None if an item on the following list was not involved in the failure or was not present on the tree Girdling hardware A wire rope fence webbing guy metal strap or other piece of hardware was wrapped partially or completely around the branch and contributed to the failure Cable A tree support cable made of steel stainless steel rope or chain was present in the crown of the tree at the time of failure and it either broke at the time of failure or did not prevent the failure This includes branch failures that occurred at or near the point of cable attachments or at the branch stem junction that the cable was supposed to protect If the cable was still attached and unbroken select Intact If the cable associated hardware or stem near point of cable attachment broke select Failed Guying If a guy connected the branch of the tree to the ground another tree or other anchoring device and the guy either failed or did not stop a type of failure select this item If the guy termination hardware anchor or stem m at or near the point of guy attachment failed select Failed If the guy was amp intact after the failure select Intact International Tree Failure Database 36 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Prop Props are mechanical devices that hold up branches a
37. e circumference of the decay divided by the circumference of the trunk at the same height with the result multiplied by 100 Enter whole numbers 15 not the decimal equivalent 0 15 Type of decay Wood decay is categorized by the components of the xylem that are digested by the decay fungus and the resulting appearance In brown rot only the polysaccharides cellulose and Peat hemicelluloses X substantially 31 degraded In white rot all wood components including polysaccharides and lignin degraded Decay produced by white rots tends to have a whitish coloration and residual fibrous texture and decay produced by brown rots often has a 2 brown color and little fibrous texture Brown rotted wood shrinks and breaks Brown rot Canker rot readily across the grain so it is often called cubical brown rot White rots are more common in hardwoods and brown rots are more common in conifers If the type of decay is not known International Tree Failure Database 24 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 select Unknown If the decay is a brown rot or white rot select the appropriate item If there 1s decay in both the sapwood and heartwood caused by a canker rot fungus select Canker rot More than one selection can be made but do not select additional items if unknown white rot or brown rot are selected Select two items only if one of them is canker rot aes xpi icem Se T td t feet ieee Conks mushrooms
38. e is located For example enter the two character postal abbreviation MI for Michigan or on the Web site pull down Michigan from the list Using the pull down list rather than the two digit postal abbreviation will link the subsequent county list County Enter the county or equivalent political subdivision where the tree is located This can be entered on the Web site by typing the county name or by pulling down the list of counties If the state was entered as a two digit postal code rather than by using the pull down list the county pull down list will not be available International Tree Failure Database 10 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 DBH This is a required field Enter the diameter at breast height DBH or DSH diameter at standard height measured 4 5 feet 55 inches or 1 4 m above grade Record this value whether this portion of the tree is still standing or is lying on the ground For multiple stemmed trees measure the diameter below the stem junction if possible If the junction 1s so close to the ground line that it can not be measured each stem should be considered an individual tree Do not enter the circumference Measuring DBH of a fallen tre Height Enter an estimate of the total height of the tree prior to failure Depending on the condition of the failure this is measured from the root collar to the highest twigs of the tree In the case of a trunk break add the stump height to the length of t
39. es high wind resistance due to excess branches and shoots High density may also be result of abundant vigorous growth such as from watersprouts mistletoe or other adventitious growth It 1s difficult to see any sky through a dense crown Heavy lateral limbs heavy ends Limbs that have unusually long length for their diameter and or a heavy foliage load especially concentrated near the ends are considered to be heavy This category also includes failures associated with heavy fruit loads Included bark Included bark is bark embedded at the junction between the two stems This condition can be observed 1f the failure occurred at a branch or stem junction so that the interior of the junction can be seen Included bark Crook A crook is an abrupt bend in a branch that may have been the result of thinning to a lateral International Tree Failure Database 30 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Failed portion is an epicormic branch The branch that failed was originally an epicormic branch or watersprout These often develop after branch breakage topping lion s tailing or other times when excessive foliage is removed from the crown MU AER Sa E Cracks in wood JE Cracks are vertical or horizontal splits in a branch involving bark cambium and xylem It may be possible to differentiate between cracking that occurs at the time of failure and cracking that existed before the failure by evidence of weathering
40. esistant to decay It no longer functions for the transport of water and nutrients but may be a site for storage Heart rot Decay located in the inner xylem or heartwood of a trunk or branch Heavy end weight Branches with unusually long length for their diameter and or having a heavy foliar or fruit or cone load especially concentrated near the ends of the branch Heavy lateral limb Branches with unusually long length for their diameter Included bark Bark embedded between two stems preventing formation of the branch bark ridge embedded bark Lean A tree trunk that 1s not vertical Lion s tailing An improper practice of removing all or most secondary and tertiary branches from the interior portion of the crown leaving most live foliage at the edge of the canopy Live crown ratio LCR The length of the crown relative to the overall tree height expressed on a percentage basis Mistletoe A parasitic higher plant that has leafy and dwarf forms NADS3 The global positioning system data used in this database NFS National Forest System U S Department of Agriculture Forest Service International Tree Failure Database 67 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 NPS National Park Service U S Department of Interior One sided crown A crown that is predominantly located on one side of a tree Prop A mechanical device that supports branch or trunk weight from below Rising Selective pruning to provide vertical clearance previously kno
41. foundations Root impenetrable barriers associated with buildings walls or other man made structures that enter the ground Other Other features that restrict root growth include chemical soil contamination manmade open trenches that did not sever roots or other factors not listed above International Tree Failure Database 41 User Manual Ver 1 1 2006 Distance from trunk to the restriction If root restriction caused the failure measured and record the distance from the trunk face to the closest portion of the restriction Also give the Percentage of root zone restricted Assume that 100 percent of the roots are within the tree s dripline for example if the root restriction is a wall that comes as close as foot 30 cm to the trunk face approximately 40 percent of the root system is restricted Measure this distance to restriction Dripline 60 open 40 restricted Root collar girdled If growth was restricted in a significant portion of the root collar area select Yes if not select No A girdling root strap wire basket sidewalk curb landscape fabric or other factor may have caused the restriction If Yes is selected enter the Percentage of circumference girdled Calculate this by dividing the length of the restriction by the total root collar circumference at the plane of the girdling and multiply the result by 100 Select Root collar girdled along with any other root failure specifi
42. he portion of the tree separated from the stump This can be determined with a tape measure or paced off if the tree is lying on the ground If the tree is still standing as in the case of a branch failure the total tree height can be a visual estimate or measured with a clinometer For wind thrown trees do not include the depth of the roots below the original soil line Use whole numbers to the nearest foot or meter Estimating height visually Age Enter the number of years from initial seed germination if known Do not enter years from the last transplanting Age can be determined from planting records or ring counts Tree site ownership Enter the category of land ownership for the site on which the tree grew Choose the category below that best describes the land ownership Private Property owned by an individual corporation or institution including homes yards or gardens even if trees are in a street utility easement or right of way commercial sites industrial sites International Tree Failure Database User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 apartment hotel or condominium complexes property owned or managed by a subdivision or homeowner association HOA shopping malls or businesses and business parks Utility Property wholly owned by a utility such as substations generating plants railroads or water treatment plants This does not include right of way ROW trees Federal national Tree Genus is Required A
43. ical growth of the upper stem Also referred to as a corrected lean Thinning 1 Selective pruning to reduce the density of live branches in the crown 2 To selective removal of individual trees in a forest stand this definition 1s not used in the ITFD Topping Pruning to reduce the height or spread of a tree crown by heading of large branches dehorning lopping or hat racking Generally considered poor practice International Tree Failure Database 68 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Trailhead An area with access to a hiking biking horseback riding or off road vehicle trail where parking is permitted Tree well A structure built around a tree to hold fill soil away from the trunk Usually circular in shape and created by a wood or masonry wall Trunk The main woody part of the tree connecting roots and branches Trunk failure Breakage of the central leader or leaders above the roots stem failure Uncorrected lean A trunk lean characterized by the trunk moving off of the vertical at a constant angle from top to bottom a straight lean or unnatural lean Utility right of way An area on either side of a utility system that is maintained to reduce the risk to the system and allow access to the system for maintenance or repair White rot Wood decay in which fungi break down all cell wall components including polysaccharides and lignin creating a white color and fibrous texture to the residual tissue More common in hardwoods
44. ies in a report must use i that system You cannot combine General Tree Info Switch to metric International Tree Failure Database 9 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Section 1 General Tree Information Tree genus This is a required field Enter the scientific genus name only For example for Eucalyptus globulus Eucalyptus is the genus Enter Eucalyptus or on the Web site select it from the pull down list If the genus you are trying to enter is not on the list you will receive an error message contact the system administrator through the ITFD home page Do not enter common names Species This is a required field Enter the scientific species name the specific epithet For example for Eucalyptus B C globulus globulus is the specific epithet Enter globulus or on the Web site select it from the pull down list The pull down list will also provide a common name for the species mem entered If the genus was not selected from the pull down list the species name and common name will not be available en Enter the cultivar name if known For example for Pyrus A calleryana Bradford Bradford is the cultivar On the Web site pull down lists are not provided Country This is a required field Enter the country where the tree is located On the Web site use the pull down list State province This is a required field Enter the state or province where the tre
45. in charge of large populations of trees will report the majority of their failures The ITFD s definition of a tree failure is a structural failure or physical breakage of the tree trunk one or more branches or one or more tree roots This definition of tree failure does not include dead standing trees even if they are likely to fail soon or trees knocked over by automobiles other equipment other trees or extreme natural catastrophes ie floods tornadoes earthquakes avalanches landslides volcanoes meteors Trees that fail during snow or ice storms thunderstorms micro bursts and hurricanes should be recorded Dead trees that fall over or otherwise fail should be recorded Trees that have been or will be intentionally removed felled or pulled or pushed over due to a high likelihood of natural failure should not be reported Generating reports from photographs or verbal descriptions can introduce unacceptable error into the system and should be avoided Most terms used in the ITFD are well known to forestry professionals and arborists However for the sake of completeness and to aid less experienced data collectors all technical terms are defined in the glossary and are available in the Live help feature of the ITFD data entry program Live help allows the user to access definitions while using the Web site by clicking on underlined words Data collection terms in this manual are in the same order as they appear on the paper based Tree
46. ka Entry Form CR E International E 5 4 Tree Failure Database es E Ow 26 T n ipd ili ie eneral Tree Info E Failure Type Ell ranure Trunk Failure Specifics di Structural Defects 7 Failure Details weather Conditions weather can Height of failure above Ul canments amp Save ground line 8 5 Decay or Injury _ g intenance History feet Trunk diameter at break linches inside bark Trunk failure specifics International Tree Failure Database 16 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Section 4 Defects Associated with Trunk Failure his section covers common defects that are associated with trunk failures You may select as many of these defects as needed as long as the defect contributed to or was associated with the failure Do not select a defect merely because it was present on the tree None No associated defects were apparent on the outside or inside of the trunk Unknown You were not able to examine the trunk completely and therefore were not able to determine whether any defects were present or a defect was present but it could not be identified Failed portion dead The trunk was dead prior to the failure as indicated by discoloration wood moisture content fungal growth or other features Decay Wood and or bark were degraded by the activity of a decay organism The decay may have affected the sapwood heartwood
47. l have symptoms at higher levels in the trees In forests many trees in the area usually have the same symptom Basal wound This is mechanical damage to the buttress or first order lateral roots Basal damage may be caused by equipment lightning insects or disease If animals or fire caused the damage note this under the specific categories If a lawn mower weed trimmer or lawn maintenance related device caused damage but not on the basal portion of the trunk select Surface root below International Tree Failure Database 46 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Low live crown ratio If a majority of branches were in the upper third 33 of the total tree height the tree is said to have a low live crown ratio This can be a result of raising for roadway or other clearance lion s tailing previous limb failure or canopy competition at an earlier stage of growth Corrected lean sweep A sweep is a gradual bend that may result from a change in trunk angle to reach sunlight or as a result of wind This type of lean can be identified in a tree with a leaning lower stem and a more vertically growing top This type of lean is also referred to as a corrected lean Uncorrected lean A trunk that is leaning at approximately the same angle from top to bottom It is also known as a straight lean Animal injury Animals can create many types of mechanical damage in a tree Animal injury can usually be confirmed by the prese
48. lly important if you were not able to find a category under Section 2 Failure type that accurately described the predisposing factors Provide as many details as are needed Results of tree failure m Kc wt Select the type of damage that 1 _ sv Vt occurred due to this tree failure None No damage beyond the loss of a few branches from this tree or minor landscape disturbance If the entire tree needed to be removed select Removal of this tree Property damage Damage to personal property such as vehicles houses commercial X buildings pavement picnic tables ig landscapes or other items Personal injury A person was killed or injured due to this tree failure Do not include injuries sustained during the cleanup of the failed tree but do include injuries indirectly caused by the failure such as for example injury due to a fire caused by a tree contacting a power line Describe any personal injuries in Additional Comments below Fire A fire started as a result of the tree failure such as by a lightning strike on the tree or by the tree contacting or arcing to a power line Power outage The tree failure damaged a power line and that caused a power outage on that circuit or beyond Removal of this tree The only damage was that the failed tree or remaining portions of this tree had to be removed Loss of other trees The failed tree fell into adjacent tree s resulting in the death serious injury or removal of othe
49. lure measure the diameter at the midpoint of the break Since root bark tends to be thin include bark thickness in this diameter For roots that are oval in cross section use the average of the large and small diameters Measurements are in inches or centimeters International Tree Failure Database User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Distance from the break to the trunk Obtain the average distance from the break or midpoint of an angled break to the face of the trunk When multiple roots are broken use the average radial distance from the face of the trunk Measurements are in feet or meters Condition of broken roots Determine whether the roots were dead or alive at the time of failure and whether decay present and a factor in the failure Choose one of the four categories e Dead no decay The majority of the failed roots were dead at the time of the failure and decay was not present e Live no decay The majority of the roots that failed were healthy as determined by whitish sapwood and or green cambium and decay was not a factor at the point of failure e Decayed The majority of the failed roots deteriorated due to fungal infection Decay is often seen more on the lower side of roots than on the top The presence of decay can be verified in the field by pressing or picking on the suspect wood with a knife finger or pen For a complete description of this techniques see the Trunk Decay section e Unknown The root sys
50. n conifers Buttress root Large woody roots that arise at the base of the trunk and support the transition from vertical to horizontal orientation structural roots Cable cabling Installation of thick heavy wire synthetic fiber or rope and associated hardware in the crown of a tree to provide support Canker A localized area of dead tissue on a stem or branch caused by fungal or bacterial organisms and characterized by progressive or intermittent killing at the margin may be perennial or annual Includes stem galls for the purpose of the ITFD Canker rot A fungal disease that involves both cankering and wood decay Canopy The combined crowns of many trees Cavity An open wound characterized by the presence of decay and resulting in a hollow Clean cleaning Selective pruning to remove dead diseased and or broken branches CODIT Compartmentalization of decay in trees Model of tree response to wounding International Tree Failure Database 65 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Codominant stem Stems equal in size and relative importance usually associated with either the trunks and stems or scaffold limbs and branches in the crown In the context of crown class trees whose crowns form the bulk of the upper layer of the canopy but which are crowded by adjacent trees Conk Woody or leathery spore producing body of wood decay fungi generally forming on the external surface of branches and trunks Corrected lean A gradual bend in a
51. nce of tooth or claw marks in the sapwood or bark Animals that commonly cause injury to trees include porcupines squirrels bears deer gophers beavers pigs horses goats and voles International Tree Failure Database 47 User Manual Ver 1 1 2006 Cracks in wood prior to failure A crack is a vertical or horizontal split in the lower stem and buttress roots involving bark cambium and xylem It may be possible to differentiate between cracking that occurs at the time of failure and cracking that existed before the failure by evidence of weathering on the wood Select this item only if the crack was present prior to the tree failure Surface roots or root collar wounded Mechanical wounds to the root collar area buttress roots or first order lateral roots caused by lawn mowers weed trimmers or other devices This category is a more specific subset of the Basal wound category mentioned above International Tree Failure Database 48 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Section 5 Location of Root Decay his section characterizes damage done to roots by decay fungi if the fungi were present and decay was involved in the failure If no decay was present proceed to Section 6 Surface Treatments Note that the Web site has the check box Root decay does not exist which is absent from the field report form Percentage of roots decayed If decay was present on the buttress or structural roots of the failed tree report the
52. nd are used when cables are not appropriate They are usually wood beams or steel pipes installed vertically from the branch to the ground Occasionally props have multiple vertical or angled legs or an A frame suspended from above If a prop was present and the branch moved horizontally rolling off the prop or the prop or prop anchor broke select Failed If the prop survived the failure select Intact Brace bolt Brace rods rigid braces through braces or bolts are used to reduce the risk of failure in codominant stems or branches They are installed above or below the junction Select this item if one or more brace rods were present If the brace rod broke pulled out of the branch was surrounded by decay that made it ineffective or otherwise did not work properly at the time of tree failure select Failed If the brace rod did not break during or before the failure select Intact International Tree Failure Database 2 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Section 3 Root Failure Specifics his category describes failures that occur at or below the soil line failure of the roots even if they are above grade and failures involving roots and a portion of the lower trunk Root failures may be caused by broken roots cut roots and the root plate or ball being lifted out of the ground windthrow or soil failure Trunk failures due to constriction by girdling roots are considered trunk failures if the failure occurs abo
53. of failure Enter the season of failure only if you do not know the exact date and time of failure A tree that fails in December 2004 but is not inspected until March 2005 it is acceptable to report as failing in winter 2005 International Tree Failure Database 99 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Section 8 Weather and Other Forces at Time of Failure Unknown You were not able to determine the weather or other conditions at the time of failure Wind speed If known enter either the wind speed at the time of failure or the maximum wind speed reported during the storm event Use miles per hour or kilometers per hour av ose dinar 1 Bein Weather Conditions and Other Forces at Time of Temperatu re de Failure ms ey mi Enter the temperature at mu Lom Arete r a ce the time of failure or the typical temperature for a that time of day Use Centigrade or mph Fahrenheit Temperature approx mie Precipitation Select the type of ee precipitation at the time of failure or that was ice related to the failure O Unknown Precipttation at thie af fallure nune Coins International Tree Failure Database 60 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Section 9 Cause Result of Tree Failure Why did this failure occur Describe the factors that you believe caused the failure of the tree This is especia
54. of the stem by girdling roots are considered trunk failures 1f there 1s Branch failure Any significant aboveground failure other than failure in the trunk P i o e E amp T Li m m a no other root involvement International Tree Failure Database 15 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Section 3 Trunk Failure Specifics T f Trunk Failure was selected in Section 2 of the report form provide the following information for the two items in Section 3 Trunk Failure Specifics then complete the sections 4 through 6 that apply to trunk failure Height of failure above grade This is a required field when Trunk Failure is selected Enter the height above the ground in feet or meters at which the trunk failure occurred Round to the nearest whole number e g 2 rather than 1 8 or 1 3 4 Enter O if the trunk failure is at ground level For breaks that are at an angle use the midpoint between top and bottom of the break Diameter at break inside bark This is a required field when Trunk Failure is selected Enter the diameter of the trunk in inches or centimeters at the point where the failure occurred If the failure 1s an angled break use the measurement at the midpoint of the break This is an inside the bark measurement Either subtract the bark thickness from the measurement of trunk diameter or measure the trunk inside the bark Round to the nearest whole number Da
55. or both Decay includes brown rot white rot cubical rot canker rot pocket rot and others Discolored or dry but structurally strong wood is not considered decayed A simple method for detecting early stages of decay without specialized equipment is the pick and pry or splinter test see Zabel and Morrell 1992 Drive a sharp screwdriver knife tip or awl into the wood at an acute angle across the grain and bend it back to snap a small piece from the surface Examine the break characteristics of the piece removed and compare them with known sound wood from the _ same tree Brash breaks breaking across the grain suggest loss of fibrous strength and decay whereas splintery breaks reflect sound wood The same characteristics can be studied on the original failure P e 2 7 surface to determine whether decay contributed to the P ELE IE T BLU ERN EE failure The presence of severe decay can also be verified in the field by pressing on the suspect wood with a finger or pen If the wood deflects under this pressure it 1s considered severely decayed International Tree Failure Database 17 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Canker Multiple trunks codominant stems Some trees contain trunks of similar size and or relative importance arising from the base or the lower trunk known as multiple trunks or codominant stems To qualify the trunks must have split at this point or must be associated with the failure in
56. other ways and not simply present in the tree International Tree Failure Database Canker is a disease of the bark cambium or sapwood Perennial cankers may have a target or concentric ring pattern Other cankers may be diffuse growing throughout the bark and into the trunk Cankers may or may not have exposed xylem Resin flow or bleeding may indicate the presence of a canker Fruiting structures may be very small such as in Nectria canker or larger and erowing on the bark such as in Hypoxylon canker Mistletoe can also cause swellings that can die and become cankers To qualify as a defect associated with failure the canker must be associated with the failure and not simply be present on the stem If you select this item and if you know the causal agent enter the scientific name after Species Please enter the genus and species 1f known or just genus if only that is known Dense crown A crown is classified as dense when it 15 relatively heavy or poses high wind resistance due to excess scaffolds and shoots High density may also be caused by abundant vigorous growth such as from watersprouts or other adventitious growth It is difficult to see any sky through a dense crown 18 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Flush cuts Flush cuts are pruning wounds made in stem tissue rather than at the branch collar This type of cut may lead to internal decay and is therefore considered improper Topped Topping dehorning
57. oval of a higher percentage of branches or the removal of larger branches gt 3 inches 7 5 cm diameter Reduced directionally pruned Shortening the length of a branch or stem to a lateral branch large enough to assume the terminal role thinning to a lateral lateral pruning or drop crotch pruning wires and near buildin Proper reduction removes no more than 25 percent of the foliage and does not make large gt reduction either removes too much live tissue gt 25 or makes cuts that are large gt 4 inches 10 cm in diameter and is therefore less This type of pruning is often done under utility gs to shorten the height or spread of a tree 4 inches 10 cm in diameter cuts Excessive likely to compartmentalize International Tree Failu Crown raised Crown raising is selective pruning to provide vertical clearance This type of pruning is common in urban areas It is done to allow passage under the crown of the tree for pedestrians vehicles mowers and light If this type is selected provide the Percentage of height Calculate this by dividing the distance from the ground line to the lowest remaining branch and by the total heath of the tree and multiplying the result by 100 re Database 54 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Main stem s topped Topping dehorning hat racking is an technique used to reduce done by making heading One easily recognizable leaving of large branch topped stub
58. plate depth is the average distance from the top of the soil surface to the bottom of the root plate measured halfway from the trunk center to the outer edge of the root plate A Roots restricted This category differs from Root plate lifted out of ground in that a major predisposing factor for the failure was a restriction in the rooting space available to the tree If this was the case select any of the following restricting factors that were involved Containers Plastic concrete wood or other structures that confine root growth inside a given space These include plastic pots concrete aboveground and belowground containers and other types of pots International Tree Failure Database 40 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Root barriers Plastic metal or fabric materials installed vertically in the ground to redirect root growth Products include Deep Root Barriers Biobarrier and some geotextiles Sidewalk curbs Sidewalks are concrete brick or stone surfaces installed for pedestrian use typically with a thickness of 4 inches 10 cm 2 inches 5 cm Curbs are structures that delimit streets and are raised to restrict the travel of vehicles and or water along a street Natural features Rocks streams or high water table valleys cliffs or other cuts in the soil soil density or texture changes hard pans or other naturally occurring features may restrict root growth and lead to tree failure Wall
59. r trees Other damage Damage did occur but it does not fit into the other categories Describe the damage in the Additional Comments section below International Tree Failure Database 61 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Property damage estimate If property damage occurred enter an estimate of the total replacement value of the items damaged Enter U S dollars Currency conversions are available at many Web sites such as the Oanda com site http www oanda com convert classic Se a ede 7 4 Cleanup costs as m e 2 Jd If the tree or fallen branches Lu 3 774 x needed to be removed or Lr Rea otherwise disposed of give the costs involved If a tree service company did the work enter the amount of the invoice If cleanup was done by a government agency corporate staff or as part of the routine tasks of a landscape contractor multiply the hourly personnel cost by the number of man hours involved and add any cost of equipment hours used or equipment rented 79 to do the job hauling and EE costs If a homeowner did the multiply the man hours involved by a reasonable hourly rate and add any rental equipment or disposal costs Enter U S dollars Additional comments Include descriptions of personal injury other targets that were damaged or other information that could quantify the damages that occurred due to the failure International Tree Failure Database 62 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006
60. rk or other factors Decay Xylem was degraded by the activity of a decay organism The decay may have deteriorated the sapwood heartwood or both Decay is characterized by the absence of xylem or by structurally weak xylem This includes brown rot white rot cubical rot canker rot pocket rot and other types of wood decay Discolored or dry structurally strong wood is not considered decayed Req a poe DESI 1 4 A simple method for detecting early stages of 1 M decay without specialized equipment is the pick ay _ and pry or splinter test see Zabel and Morrell OS 1992 Drive a sharp screwdriver knife tip or awl into the wood at an acute angle across the grain and bend it back to snap a small piece from the surface Examine the break characteristics of the piece removed and compared them with known sound wood from the same tree Brash breaks breaking across the grain suggest loss of fibrous strength and decay whereas splintery breaks reflect sound wood The same characteristics can be studied on the original failure surface to determine whether decay contributed to the failure The presence of severe decay can also be verified in the field by pressing on the suspect wood with a finger or pen If the wood deflects under this pressure the wood is considered severely decayed International Tree Failure Database 29 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Dense crown aye A crown becomes dense when it is relatively heavy or pos
61. root growth This includes the soil directly beneath the tree to a depth of about 3 feet 1 m If the restriction was at a greater depth select these items only if it is obvious that a root restriction existed The presence of these factors at a greater depth without evidence of root restriction does not warrant their inclusion Root depth restricting factors include Similar High water table drainage this condition exists regardless of water input from irrigation rainfall or soil texture High water tables are often found near bodies of water to poor Compaction Compacted subsoil conditions exist when the subsoil has been mechanically pressed down during construction or other human activities Compaction may also occur naturally when 5015 with high clay content are present without good soil structure If only the International Tree Failure Database oa mn Poor drainage This is usually seen as a saturated layer of soil with the smell of anaerobic decomposition and a gray color Mottled light and dark soil 1s often seen immediately above the saturated layer Poor drainage conditions usually exist due to high clay content in the soil that did not allow the soil to drain or excessive input of irrigation water Shallow or layered soil This restriction may be due to impenetrable rock rock ledge or incompatible soil texture layers that restrict downward root growth ann 43 User Manual Ver
62. round over lopping or hat racking is a pruning technique used to reduce height of a tree by making heading cuts on large branches Select this item if there is evidence that the tree was topped prior to trunk failure and that topping contributed to the failure One sided In a one sided tree a majority of branches are centered on one side of the tree or the tree grew in such a way that branches grew only on one side of the stem Low live crown ratio If a majority of live branches were in the upper third 33 of the total tree height the tree has a low live crown ratio This can be a result of self pruning competition from adjacent trees raising for roadway or other clearance lion s tailing removing all or most of the secondary branches from the inner crown leaving branches only at the edges or previous limb failure International Tree Failure Database l9 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Included bark Included bark is bark embedded at the junction between the two stems This condition can be observed if the failure occurred at a branch or stem junction so that the interior of the junction can be seen Leans Several types of lean are considered If you had prior knowledge of the tree or if the trunk bend is evident indicate which of the following types of lean was present prior to failure Bow An uncorrected lean in which the top of the tree has either a downward bend or curve at a greater angle than the lo
63. s Diameter of the largest heading cuts round over lopping or improper pruning the height of a tree It 1s cuts on large branches result of topping is the stubs If the tree was present provide the stub Habitat information This section deals with the site in which the tree had been growing Trees recently removed in vicinity of failed tree Determine whether other trees were removed from the area adjacent to the failed tree within the previous 4 years Tree removal may have been forest thinning removals on a construction site or removal of adjacent high risk or dead trees History of previous failures at site Determine whether other trees have failed in a similar way trunk branch or root near this failure This may represent a disease center site related problem lack of wind resisting strength or other factor For branch failures have there been other branch failures on this tree Setting Give information on the use of the area around the failed tree Ownership of the land was covered in Section 1 and should not be confused with this section For example the tree may be located in a national forest federal ownership but sited next to a power line or in parking lot Select only one category the best representation of the area use or the factor most related to the failure The categories are e Forest Trees growing in groups with natural undisturbed forest litter ground cover e Campground A par
64. s or other wood feeders Bark beetles shot hole borers sucking insects e g aphids scales or adelgids or other insects that do not significantly weaken the wood structure should not be included even though they may have actually killed the tree Animal injury Animals can cause many types of mechanical damage in a tree Animal injury can usually be confirmed by the presence of tooth or claw marks in the sapwood or bark Animals that commonly injure branches include porcupines squirrels and bears If the animal injury leads to decay select both Animal Injury and Decay Canker Canker is disease of the bark and possibly the sapwood Perennial cankers may have a target shaped or concentric ring pattern Other cankers may be diffuse growing throughout the bark in a limited area or a large portion of the branch Cankers may or may not have exposed xylem Resin flow or bleeding may indicate the presence of a canker Fruiting structures may be very small as with Nectria canker or larger and growing on the bark as with Hypoxylon canker To make this selection the canker must be associated with the failure and not just a present on the stem Mistletoe can also cause swelling that can die and become cankers If you select this item and know the causal agent enter the name after Species Enter the genus and species if known or just the genus if only that is known International Tree Failure Database 22 User Manual Ver 1 1
65. stions specific to that failure ess p ag 1 type The choices are as follows GREEN Ll Eea JUNa Naaa piap e aatar vaalea arla ie Tyee al fair 3 Trumk main chem C Broni Failure 3 Beet aie m Contra Trunk failure Trunk failure occurs on the aboveground portion of the main stem It includes breakage of the trunk above the root collar even if the root collar and lower trunk are below grade Include trunk failures due to constriction by girdling roots if there is no other root involvement If the tree has two or more codominant X stems breakage in any one of the stems would be considered a trunk failure A failure that encompasses both roots and trunk should be classified as a root failure rather than a trunk failure In trees with a strong central leader ha oe the trunk may fail at IAS ab ic MEE LL eS any point from base to the top of the tree In trees a strong central leader the trunk will transition to a series of scaffold branches International Tree Failure Database 14 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Root failure Failure of the roots even if they are above grade as well as failures that involve both roots and a portion of the lower trunk Root failure encompasses broken roots cut roots and root plate lifting out of the eround windthrow Failures due to constriction
66. ted the trunk of the tree to the ground another tree or other anchoring device and the guy failed or did not prevent the failure select this item If the guy termination hardware anchor or stem at or near the point of guy attachment failed select Failed If the guy was intact after the failure select Intact International Tree Failure Database i a i e AND e EE m 4 ier a m E Cable A tree support cable made of steel stainless steel rope or chain was present in the crown of the tree at the time of failure and it either A broke at the time of failure or did not prevent the failure Include trunk failures that occurred at or near the point of cable attachment as well as failures at the branch stem junction that the cable was suppose to protect If the cable was still attached and unbroken select Intact If the cable associated hardware or stem near point of cable attachment was broken select Failed 26 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Brace bolt Brace rods rigid braces through braces or bolts are used to reduce the risk of failure in codominant stems They can be installed above or below the junction of two codominant stems Select this item if one or more brace rods were present in the failed tree If the brace rod broke pulled out of the stem was surrounded by decay that made it ineffective or otherwise did not work properly at
67. tem was not visible for inspection or it could not be determined whether the roots were living dead or decayed at the time of the failure Roots cut severed not decayed or broken Root severance is more common in urban areas and root raked forest areas or parks where construction trenching or landscaping occurred close to the tree Root severance can be identified by inspecting the end of the cut roots Straight cuts typically indicate root severance by a trenching machine rock cutter root cutter or saw Torn or shattered ends often indicate tearing by a backhoe bulldozer or root rake Decay is often present in severed roots however if the severance was the most important factor in the failure select this category should rather than Roots broken above International Tree Failure Database 39 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Root plate lifted out of ground This is one of the two categories that are used to categorize windthrow or soil failures the other category is Root restricted below In this category the smaller size usually less than 2 inches 5 on medium and large diameter trees roots broke some distance from the trunk and those roots were not restricted in their growth due to any impenetrable barriers Soil is usually still attached to the root plate in this type of failure Measure the average Root plate radius from the face of the trunk to the edge of the root plate Root
68. tially or fully developed forest area intended for overnight stays International Tree Failure Database EO User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 e Picnic area A partially or fully developed forest area intended for day use including picnicking Trailhead An area with access to a hiking horseback riding bike motorcycle or off road vehicle trail that allows vehicle parking e Other developed forest sites include water access sites day use sites wildlife viewing areas interpretive administrative or visitor information sites or other developed or partially developed forest sites e Commercial site institution Businesses manufacturing plants hospitals college campuses corporate campuses government facilities condominium associations apartment buildings and other similar sites International Tree Failure Database 56 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Street tree median Urban sites include sites next to streets or in road median or boulevards This category excludes sites along highways or in interchanges even if they are in urban areas e Roadside trees Sites along roads interchanges and highways even if those highways are in an urban area Utility right of way Sites within a maintained utility right of way especially electrical power line right of ways Other right of ways include gas pipelines water flumes irrigation ditches and sewer pipe lines These may be in rural or urban areas
69. tion of Decay REAR T WOOD Aor found wodgdihckenesB O Opmmg cavity al O Na Yes npemng W of iunt ar mad Faded O mad Fad O imed Famed O ila International Tree Failure Database O Fed C NFS OBA OBLM ODOD 0 NPS GPS Laude Longstude BIFAILURE Mm Da ranch Faure 9 Yea Ona Hl No from fhe ta brine firm EJ Defects Associated with Failure Nonae O Faiad poton doad C Decay Die Gow Hamy ahii irmpadeeirey ewi O inetudod bark Crook Faded portion an apcormisc branch O Graces i wood D Miatotos cr epipmyte Dl Mechanica inuy O Ligen Fury iaaa Inu Cariae Conks murshroomsother signs Na Yas Nama from conk O Filed sd OFalad io MDA D ROOT FAILURE OON i Rack gravel Sx reste wi lima of failure Unmcwn 2 Dry Saturated O Flooded roning depth dus x Ppardramage Shalaw cr tye moil high water tate Compaced Other O Sol emiemi O Compecton LJ Well trunk Fire acaefrcany hass wound Low ive oven mia ormoni iman imwern Uncorrected O Aerei Inquiry O Cracks en Iran pror a Surface roots ar root collier wounded Avg sound wood Tyee Unknown Brown rox ET White rot DD Surface Traatmant O ucc
70. ts Associated with Branch 20 Section o Locauon ot Branch Detay usce dae a Rd Capt 33 Section 6 Hardware Branch Maintenance HIStory ccccccccccececcccceeeessssseesseseeeeeeeeeeeees 36 Section S Root Parl te SPECIES ictus Ginn contes led mda vend 38 Section 4 Defects Associated with Root Failure eeeeeeeesesseeeeeeeeeneneeeeeeennn 46 DecHonosbocamon or Root De663y uei 49 eta da Eee DAL etae date swa 50 Section 7 Additional InfOFDHat Om 53 Section 8 Weather and Other Forces at Time of 60 Sectiom 9 C a se ResultoE s eddie irae 61 Compleuncs the EN y ooi iio a 63 Acquiring Information from the 64 E IEEE a NETT 65 it 70 Acknowledment orsa cono heu iun au idet REC eM eee eee 70 Tree Failure Report ss uon D er ER PERS IRE Ee ee pel enia a nu et Feb Pea uia 71 International Tree Failure Database 2 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 A similar system was conceived and developed in California in 1987 as the California Tree Failure Report Program CTFRP The California program h
71. ure Heart rots often have an opening to the outside called a cavity opening or simply a cavity If the line of failure included the cavity opening select Yes and determine the opening s percentage of branch circumference Occasionally there is a thin layer of dry wood with decay behind it and no bark over the front this would be included as a cavity opening The D JE 6 percentage of cavity opening equals the width of the t ee D er Co cavity divided by the circumference of stem at the International Tree Failure Database 33 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 same height with the result multiplied by 100 In some cases it may be necessary to visually estimate the percentage of cavity opening rather than measuring it Enter a whole percentage number 15 not the decimal equivalent 0 15 If there was no opening to the outside or if the opening was not involved in the failure enter No and do not record a percentage of circumference Sapwood If the decay was a sapwood rot or sapwood decay the deteriorated wood will be mainly around the exterior of the branch and it may include the bark With this type of decay the wood toward the center of the branch heartwood is usually not decayed Canker rots or the combination of heart rots and a sapwood rot are the only cases in which both the Heartwood and Sapwood should be selected Average depth of sapwood rot Enter the average thickness of decayed sapwood at the point of failure
72. ure at a time The Copy function allows additional trees with the same species size or location attributes to be repeated in the next record Be sure to make the changes required for each new entry so that the data 1s unique for subsequent trees Information contained in the ITFD is subject to the U S Freedom of Information Act and can be accessed by the public Reports should provide only information appropriate for general use If a tree failure may become involved in future litigation we recommend delaying entry into the database until the situation is resolved The USDA Forest Service and other Web site managers will not attempt to protect any information on the database from legal disclosure or discovery Throughout this manual as well as on the Web site and in the paper based report form an asterisk indicates required information International Tree Failure Database 6 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Getting Online with the ITFD n order to become a cooperator in tree failure analysis with the ITFD a training class is required This session is typically 2 to 3 hours long and may be conducted entirely indoors or may be a combination of indoor and field training U S federal personnel may have alternative training options contact your USDA Forest Service Forest Health Protection group for details The ITFD Report Form will be provided at training Sessions Additional copies can be downloaded from the ITFD Web site http ft
73. ve grade and other root failures were not involved Tree ils Database al l allure cheese only ane of the 4 Beal breien Diamrier at break of barged broken fiat ivi of break fram trunk Condition af roots ral decayed Derayed Live not decayed Ramis Four categories of root failure listed Roots broken Roots cut severed Root plate lifted out of ground and Roots restricted Choose the one that best describes the failure The last two failure types are very similar Both describe a type of failure in which large diameter roots did not break and were not cut The difference between them is that with Root plate lifted out of ground there are no physical structures in the vicinity that limited root growth and were associated with the failure In the second category Roots restricted a structure or other feature restricted the growth of the tree s root system leading to a failure If you select Root Failure you must choose one of the four failure types Roots broken With this type of failure large roots typically 2 inches 5 cm or greater in diameter on medium or large diameter trees fairly close to the trunk broke This category includes both decayed and sound roots Diameter of largest broken root Measure the diameter of the largest root that can be seen at the point of failure If this is an angled fai
74. ves the numbers of the major divisions of a report The Web site uses the same format Please note that Sections 3 through 6 appear in three different places depending on the failure type selected Required fields are marked with an asterisk On a ee site if you leave fields marked with an asterisk blank or enter inappropriate EO PN International information e g text for trunk i Failure diameter the report will be rejected when you submit it For gv example if the species is spelled inning Error You have not entered all the required ray incorrectly you will be prompted Wis a rm after clicking Continue You will i abad rror iii then need to review all required Belere sa9ing a recen you enter all elds that have as fields and make sure the data 1S Tha allaveing mat he patere d inus Coumry Slabr Previner DAH em Cher reri entere correct y Tape of allure repel Bee Denm debe at break d amp uameter at break third screen B Branch 9 am yros urera j af rest fallire laurth tore If Beet chaiem an sscend MA Cariri Required fields Data Entry Reports Links Help Admin E rs Nx F a A time out function is built in the ITFD Web site If you have not entered data for 1 hour
75. was not visible select No At the time of failure was the tree dead declining or alive Dead trees can be recognized by discolored inner bark If the tree has been dead for some time days or weeks the leaves should have died or fallen off or they should have turned brown and been retained on the twigs If the tree has been dead for somewhat longer months small branches may be falling off and patches of bark may be loosely attached or falling off If the tree has been dead many months or years the bark may have completely fallen off and medium sized branches may be falling Decline is the progressive decrease in the health of organs or the entire plant usually caused by a series of interacting factors Declining trees are still alive in at least a portion of their trunk root and branch systems The crown exhibits dieback or thinning Leaves may be green or a chlorotic yellow color and sparse Live trees do not need to be completely foliated especially in the winter but evergreen hardwoods and conifers should be The majority of the live crown should have green leaves attached during the growing season Was there construction around this tree This question refers to construction that may be related to the death or decline of the tree or that may have predisposed it to failure Consider only construction that occurred within the dripline of the tree or is otherwise known to have impacted the tree If there was construction indicate how
76. wer portion of the trunk or a constant angle throughout the tree The tops of bowed trees occasionally touch the ground Heavy snow loads or strong winds often cause bows Crook An abrupt or broad bend in the trunk A crook may be the result of thinning to a lateral loss of a codominant stem death of a previous top or other factor Sweep A gradual upward bend that may result from a n2 d change in trunk angle to reach sunlight or as a result of wind This type of lean can be recognized in a tree with a leaning lower stem and a more vertically growing top It 1s also known as a corrected lean Uncorrected lean A trunk that is leaning at approximately the same angle from top to bottom It is also referred to as a straight lean International Tree Failure Database 20 User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Cracks in wood A crack is a vertical or horizontal split in the stem involving bark cambium and xylem It may be possible to differentiate between cracking that occurs at the time of failure and cracking that existed before the failure by looking for weathering of the wood or callus growth at the crack Select this item only if the crack was present prior to the tree failure If you select this item characterize the crack angle as either Vertical or Horizontal on the intact tree prior to failure Lightning injury The quintessential lightning strike leaves a vertical line of 23 missing bark and a valley in the
77. whole percentage number 15 not the decimal equivalent 0 15 If the cavity had no opening to the outside or if the opening was not involved in the failure enter No and do not record a percentage of circumference International Tree Failure Database 23 User Manual Ver 1 1 2006 Sapwood If the decay was a sapwood rot or sapwood decay the deteriorated wood will be mainly around the exterior of the stem and it may include the bark With this type of decay the wood toward AREY the center of the tree heartwood is usually not decayed If the tree had canker rots or the combination of heart L rot and sapwood rot select both Heartwood and Sapwood Average depth of sapwood rot Enter the average thickness of decayed sapwood at the point of failure Make at least three measurements or visual estimates of sapwood decay thickness around the circumference of the trunk The measurement should not include bark thickness The average sapwood rot thickness equals the sum aoi the sickness measurements divided by the number of measurements made Circumference rotted If sapwood rot is present give the percentage of the circumference that was decayed If the decay entirely circles the trunk at the plane of failure enter 100 percent If the decay encompasses less than 100 percent of the circumference determine the percentage of the circumference that is rotted The percentage of circumference rotted equals th
78. wn as lifting Reduction pruning Reducing the length of a branch or stem back to a lateral branch large enough to assume the terminal role thinning to a lateral drop crotch Removal cut Removes branch at its point of attachment to the trunk or parent limb thinning cut thinning Root Underground portion of the tree including woody and nonwoody tissues Root barrier Plastic metal or fabric installed vertically in the ground to direct root growth downwards Root collar Area around the base of the tree where the trunk and root system merge the root crown Root failure Failure at or below the soil line breakage of one or more buttress roots or uplifting of the root plate Root plate An area around the trunk of a tree where there is a high concentration of buttress roots primary lateral roots and support roots Sapwood Outer and youngest layers of secondary xylem in a trunk or stem that function in conduction and storage of water mineral elements and carbohydrates Scaffold branch A main limb that arises from the central leader and supports other branches Slope The degree or deviation of a surface from horizontal measured in a numerical ratio percent or degrees Sound wood Wood that has not been degraded by decay organisms Stub The portion of a branch attached to a tree after an improper pruning cut or branch break Sweep A gradual bend in a tree trunk recognized by off vertical growth in the lower stem and more vert
79. xit the system e Report starting form e Report starting from failure another tree with a blank another tree with the data the previous This 1S recommended when reporting multiple failures from a localized geographic area multiple failures that occurred during the same storm or failures of many of the same species of tree By changing only the different fields between one tree and the next significant time can be saved It 1s important however to make sure that all of the differences between the two trees are entered and that mistaken data is not repeated from one tree to the next tree User Manual Ver 1 1 May 2006 Acquiring Information from the ITFD nce the database has sufficient data it will be possible to acquire summary reports from the Web site To do this go to the ITFD Home Page click on the Reports tab at the top of the page As reports become available they will be posted at this at this site You may also generate your own reports by downloading a complete copy of the database and manipulating it yourself The database online is found under the Help tab Downloads section This copy of the complete database is updated on a quarterly basis and 15 available as an Excel file Downloads Data Entry Form Dala Entry Farm Excel Database Export o Downioad Exce Database Export the Excel Metadata D ocumentabon Images Download the LTED lou Downoad

User Manual - UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

Contents

Download Pdf Manuals

Related Search

Related Contents