Paul Melarange

Hat off to you for posting. This happened to someone on a site that we ended up working at (because they lost the contract). It seemed to be the normal thing for this company to put a sink cut in for topping out before removing their anchor point. I know this because we used one of the employees from the original contractor and he did the same (well until I saw him do it). I can see that work positioning might be slightly easier, but it's just too easy to continue to put the back cut in through force of habit.

Some sort of Bolete (so mycorrhizal)

Maybe the D8 and D5 work in a similar way then. Are you finding it difficult to determine where the top of the tree is (particularly on broad, domed crowns and irregular shaped crowns)? If so, it helps to take the measurement from a distance equal to, or greater than, the height of the tree. You can use the cross hairs on the camera to determine the top. You don't have to be able to see the red dot. I hope this helps?

The Leica disto D8 seems to be more suited to measuring tree heights, as it only uses a tilt measurement for the top of the tree, rather than having to get the laser pointer to hit it. I have the D8. It took a while to get used to, but I couldn't do without it now.

'Tree guys' that drop cards are more often than not inadequately insured and unqualified (hopefully I've made that as PC as possible?) 😜 Please use a reputable arborist that is suitably qualified, insured and experienced. The arboricultural association provide the following information regarding choosing an arborist: http://www.trees.org.uk/Trees.org.uk/files/96/96989ec9-5842-4b6f-a728-b580fcf4317e.pdf

In terms of the tree affecting the foundations - this will only be an issue if your house is on a shrinkable clay soil and the foundations are inadequate to resist changes in soil level/volume beneath them. In terms of the tree affecting the drainage system - sometimes if trees are very close to pipes they can cause direct damage by lifting or displacing the pipe as the grow. The most common type of damage is usually blockages of pipes where the roots have grown into a fracture or gap in the pipe and taken advantage of the water in and around it. This is more an issue of the pipes being defective rather than the tree causing the damage. If you like the tree and want to keep it, I suggest you look into what the soil type is. You could also have a drain survey carried out. Robinia tend not to respond well to pruning. They produce a lot of spikey, fast growing shoots (epicormic growth) which you don't really want. The best thing would be not to prune it at all. If you decide to remove the tree it is important to poison it, otherwise it will produce suckers from the roots.

Actually, scrap that. Thinking about it I don't think Wych elm would be that uniform. It might be smooth-leafed Elm (Ulmus carpinifolia).

Yes looks like Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra)

Did you get any photos of the cross section of the stem at the height the Picus test was carried out? The yellow lines on the tomogram are there to indicate potential cracks, which can exaggerate the size of the hollow/decayed area in the image. I would be really interested to see how the cut stem and the tomogram compare.

In these situations it is important to consider the existing ground and floor levels. If the floor level of the existing property is similar to the ground level within the footprint of the proposed extension, the slab or beams will have to be higher to avoid excavation, therefore creating a step up into the extension. For some this may be acceptable, for others it may not. It is also worth discussing with the architect how the ground beam or slab will be finished off or hidden on completion of the project. How many houses do you see with a concrete ground beam or slab visible just above the ground? Also how close will the extension be to the crown or the tree? Will there be future pressure to prune or remove the tree due to shading or leaves in gutters?

1st - snake bark maple Acer capillipes 2nd - True service tree Sorbus domestica (although I have my doubts) 3rd - (now this is a head scratcher) how about snowdrop tree Halesia monticola?

Good point. For sun-scorch you would need some sun. That blows that theory out the water then! 😝

The use of chlorophyll fluorescence testing can be used to determine whether a tree has been poisoned. However, it probably wouldn't be feasible or appropriate in this case. The die-back might be a result of poisoning. However, I think it is more likely to be a result of sun-scorch caused by a combination of the heavy reduction and the loss of the adjacent beech. The loss of foliage and the exposure of the previously shaded side of the crown on a thin barked tree could, in my opinion, lead to significant damage of the bark and cambium.

Thanks Stuart, glad you like the website 😀 Just to let you know, there are no aspects of the initial investigation that I would undertake that would require permission from the LPA (unless there is dense epicormic growth (shoots/branches) obscuring the base of the trunk). I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks Gary 👍 yes I would certainly be interested.

I'll second that 😀

The same website also has guidance on mental wellbeing for tree workers - equally as important as the physical wellbeing. http://vtio.org.au/PDFs/2016VTIOMentalWellbeingForAboristsbyDHall.pdf

Bill Anderson posted a link to the following website on the UKTC forum: http://vtio.org.au/PDFs/2016VTIOPhysicalWellbeingForAboristsbyDHall.pdf It has some really useful information regarding injury prevention in tree work.

Certainly looks like Fraxinus ornus. Are these photos taken today?

This is a good question. I must admit I tend to leave the RPAs on the Tree Protection Plan. However, I know quite a few consultants that don't include the RPAs. They feel that as a consultant you should be trusted to have put the fencing in the correct place, without having to show it in relation to the RPAs. I'm inclined to agree with this, particularly if you have included Tree constraints plans in your report. I suppose I leave them on for transparency. I like to make it easier for the tree/planning officer to see the process that I went through in deciding where to position the protection measures. It's horse for courses though really. If it's a large site with lots of trees, it might be clearer to omit the RPAs from the plan.

Hopefully attached to this post is a PDF of Annex D: Emergency Operations and Protected Species. This should answer the question. Annex D.pdf

If the tree poses an unacceptable risk to people then works to make the tree safe take priority. However, if possible, a licensed bat worker should be consulted prior to the works being undertaken. It might be that limbs or tree parts containing potential bat roost features can be carefully lowered and relocated.

Has the tree been reduced or pruned before? If so, it's probably best that we don't tell you 😝

Hi Chris, Yes I'd be happy to travel down to south east Essex. Whereabouts are you based exactly?

Hi Josh, Testing some trees in Harlow would be perfect. It would also be a good opportunity to catch up with you, Bob, Phil and Paul. I'm looking to test any trees that are due for removal. If they have features such as cavities or other evidence of decay, then even better. Some of the key things I want to get out of the research are: 1/ the range of velocities for difference species; 2/ how bark inclusions and fluting affect the readings; 3/ how different types of decay are represented in the tomogram. 4/ to build up a data base of bark thickness for different species and stem diameters. Please can you PM your phone number and I'll give you a call next week to discuss (if that's ok with you)? Thanks again. Have a great Easter break. Paul