Research

The Ohio Chapter’s research committee is responsible for locating and disseminating research findings that affect Ohio tree care professionals. Research documents are separated into primary areas of interest and include a searchable summary provided by the committee. Use the search feature in the lower right corner to search using a keyword.

If you have research papers you think would be of interest to Ohio professionals or if you cannot locate a certain subject matter, email the Ohio Chapter research committee at info@OhioChapterISA.org.

Other resources:
* Arboriculture & Urban Forestry Online
* TreeFund.org

Climbing

Environmental

Tree Establishment: A Review of Some of the Factors Affecting Transplant Survival & Establishment
This article reviews some of the factors that induce transplant shock and slow establishment of transplanted nursery stock such as root and mineral nutrient loss, soil moisture stress and xylem vessel cavitation, and methods used to reduce transplant shock.

Heat Tolerance of Urban Trees (Percival 2023)
There is evidence of genetic variation in heat tolerance between and within species within urban forestry, which could be essential to exploit for urban trees. Understanding the mechanisms of tree physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses to extreme heat events is also necessary for understanding how urban tree species will be affected by climate change.

Impact of Mulches on Landscape Plants and the Environment - A Review
All mulches are not created equally, however, and this review compares the costs and benefits of landscape mulches as reported in the scientific literature. It also presents real and perceived problems associated with various landscape mulches.

A Meta-Analysis of Studies Relating to Organic Materials and Impacts on Soil, Tree, and Environmental Properties
Organic materials are commonly used in urban landscapes to improve soil quality and tree health. Literature reviews suggest that the effects of organic materials are beneficial, but these impacts have yet to be evaluated using a meta-analytical approach. This work presents a literature summary of 176 articles published in Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (AUF) and evaluates 33 of these papers using a meta-analysis.

The Influence of Soil Decompaction and Amendments on Soil Quality
The research focuses on the impact of soil compaction on urban trees and evaluates different decompaction methods, including air spading, vertical mulching, biochar application, and woodchip mulching.

A rapid urban site index for assessing the quality of street tree planting sites. For an urban site index to have value for urban forestry and arboriculture it must be practical and accurate. Considerations include the time and expertise required to use the tool.

Equipment

[Duplicate] Plant Healthcare

Comparison of Apple Planting Methods
Scientific Paper
The tractor-mounted soil auger, a commonly used machine for simplifying the planting of apple trees, was shown to create a compact hole wall that remains evident over time. In a comparison of the auger to a backhoe, a commercial tree planter, a ditch trencher, and an auger modified to fracture the sides of the planting hole, shoot length and anchorage measurements of trees planted by the alternative planting methods surpassed those planted by the conventional auger. Trees planted by backhoe or tree planter were most successfully established

Bleeding Canker Disease of Silver Maple Trees
Technical Notes
Management of silver maple canker diseases should be based on integrated pest management (IPM) principles. Learn more from this guideline for professionals and homeowners.

Treatment of Biochar, Fertilization, and Tillage Improves Soil Organic Matter and Tree Growth
Scientific Paper
Three common actions that arborists and urban foresters perform for soil improvement include tillage, fertilization, and amendment with organic materials. Practitioners performing these actions often utilize them in combination.

Boxwood Blight
Technical Notes
Boxwood blight is a fungal disease easily transported in the nursery industry and can be moved on infected plants that do not show any symptoms at the time of shipment.

Boxwood - Volutella Blight
Fact Sheet
This disease is causing extensive losses in commercial nurseries that produce boxwood.

Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)
Fact Sheet
Soils have a CEC primarily because clay particles and organic matter in the soil tend to be negatively charged. Since the soil as a whole does not have electric charge, the negative charge of the clay particles is balanced by the positive charge of the cations in the soil.

Chlorantraniliprole: Reduced-risk Insecticide for Controlling Insect Pests of Woody Ornamentals with Low Hazard to Bees
Scientific Paper
Pesticides used to protect woody ornamentals and turf in urban landscapes need to have efficacy against target pests, low mammalian, and avian toxicity, stability of performance across different conditions, and minimal impact on pollinators, natural enemies, earthworms, and other beneficial invertebrates. Chlorantraniliprole meets those criteria, making it an attractive alternative to neonicotinoids, pyrethroids, and older chemistries, especially for use on plants that may attract bees.

Factors Affecting Efficacy of Trunk-Injected Emamectin Benzoate to Manage Emerald Ash Borer
Scientific Paper
This study clearly demonstrates that EB can be successfully delivered to the canopy of ash trees by the 3 injection systems evaluated.

Chemical & Biochemical Properties of Humic Substance from Forest Soilds & Plant Growth
Scientific Paper
It is well known that soil humic substances can affect plant growth by behaving as growth hormones. In many systems, humic substances behave similarly to true auxins, but until recently it had not been shown that they could contain substances similar to auxins.

Organic Matter, Humus, Humate, Humic Acid, Fulvic Acid & Humin: The Importance in Soil Fertility and Plant Health
Scientific Paper
Plants grown on soils that contain adequate humin, humic adds (HAs), and fulvic adds (FAs) are less subject to stress, are healthier, produce higher yields; and the nutritional quality of harvested foods and feeds are superior.

Plant Health & Soil Changes with Humic Substance Applications
Technical Paper
Based on laboratory experiments, humic substances show promise for commercial crop production; however, the extent of positive crop response is difficult to predict. To date, field research has shown mixed results. Humic substances may have an impact on plant growth and soil characteristics; however, the magnitude of the impact is determined by several factors, which include the source of the humic substance, plant species, method of application, and soil type.

Understanding the Role of Humic Acids on Crop Performance and Soil Health
Technical Paper
This review highlights the relevance of HA on crop growth, plant hormone production, nutrient uptake and assimilation, yield, and protein synthesis.

Changes in Leaf Thickness, Chlorophyll Content & Gas Exchange of a Landscape Tree Treated with Paclobutrazol and Potassium Nitrate
Scientific Paper
The presence of PBZ produced a more compressed arrangement of cells in the leaves. Darker green leaves were observed due to enhanced relative chlorophyll content following PBZ and KNO treatment.

Tree Lightning Protection Systems
Technical Paper
Tree lightning protection systems are intended to provide a preferred point for lightning attachment and a preferred path to ground for lightning strike currents.

Effect of Leonardite Application on Leaf Nutrient Content & Fruit Chemical Parameters of Cherry
Scientific Paper
Organic fertilizers have an important role in plant nutrition practices by protecting the environment, human health, and ecological balance, and supporting sustainable productivity. Hence, the use of leonardite which has high humic acid content is becoming increasingly common.

Quantitative Tools for Prediction of Pavement Damages Associated with Urban Trees
Scientific Paper
This study aimed to (1) establish allometric relationships between DBH and TFD of common urban tree species, and (2) identify factors affecting the presence and magnitude of protruding roots and flares.

Soil Fertility Management & Insect Pests: Harmonizing Soil & Plant Health in Agroecosystems
Scientific Paper
Soil fertility management can have several effects on plant quality, which in turn, can affect insect abundance and subsequent levels of her bivore damage. The reallocation of mineral amendments in crop plants can influence oviposition, growth rates, survival, and reproduction in the insects that use these hosts.

Potassium Phosphite
Technical Paper
Potassium phosphite is a soil applied material that has recently gained attention as a method for improving plant vigor and health. Research and field experience have shown that this improvement of plant health after application of potassium phosphite is related to an increase in resistance against a variety of plant pathogens, as well as increased tolerance of many environmental stress factors, including drought stress.

Professional Expertise & Its Role in Risk Assessment
Scientific Paper
Professional judgment is derived from a person's intuition, training, and level of expertise. When exploring the influence that expertise has on the process of tree risk assessment, it is helpful to approach the topic in relation to its impact across various disciplines. This paper reviews the effects of arboricultural and tree risk assessment training on the assessor and overall tree risk assessment methodology through the lens of professional judgment and decision-making. Additionally, the topic of risk perception is explored based on how it can affect decision-making. Concepts and theories related to risk perception are applied to arboriculture and tree risk assessment to provide additional insight into how subjectivity and personal bias may affect recommendations, mitigation, and the overall management of our urban forests. The review finds that an individual’s perception of a risk can be equally as influential as the reality of the risk on the decision-making process.

The Influence of Soil Decompaction & Amendments on Soil Quality
Scientific Paper
The research focuses on the impact of soil compaction on urban trees and evaluates different decompaction methods, including air spading, vertical mulching, biochar application, and woodchip mulching. The study underscores the importance of adopting effective long-term soil decompaction measures to improve the survival of urban trees in compacted soils resulting from human activities.

Soil Organic Matter
Fact Sheet
Soil organic matter contributes to soil productivity in many different ways. In this fact sheet, various components of organic matter and the different roles organic matter plays in soil productivity are described as well as field management practices that will help preserve or increase soil organic matter levels over time.

The Effect of Soil Saturation on Trees & Other Plants
Technical Paper
Adequate soil drainage, or lack of adequate drainage (also called soil saturation) is influenced by soil texture (percent of sand, silt, and clay) and structure (arrangement of soil particles).

Threats to the Sustainability of Urban Forests
Technical Paper
By understanding factors that threaten the sustainability of our urban forests, arborists can develop Integrated Pest management (IPm) and Plant Healthcare (PHc) programs to mitigate many of the abiotic and biotic forces plaguing trees in urban ecosystems.

Susceptibility of Garden Trees and Shrubs to Armillaria Root Rot.
Technical Paper
Armillaria root rot (ARR) is a serious disease of woody plants caused by several species of Armillaria. Three species were identified in the study. The results provide confidence in the use of host resistance as part of the integrated management of ARR>

Beech Leaf Disease Severity Affects Ectomycorrhizal Colonization and Fungal Taxa Composition
Technical Paper
Beech leaf disease is an emerging threat to temperate forests in North America. Over time, BLD infestation leads to leaf senescence and canopy loss. Tree death, especially in the subcanopy, is common. Because fungi rely on the photosynthate of autotrophic hosts, and because BLD causes canopy loss, likely hindering photosynthesis, the study predicted that trees more severely affected by BLD symptoms would have a lower ECM root colonization.

Arbuscular-Mycorrhiza
Neighbors of arbuscular-mycorrhiza associating trees are colonized more extensively by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi than their conspecifics in ectomycorrhiza-dominated stands.

Plant Healthcare - Endophytes

Plant Healthcare - Fungi

Plant Healthcare - Insects

Plant Healthcare - Other

Threats to the Sustainability of Urban Forests
Technical Paper
By understanding factors that threaten the sustainability of our urban forests, arborists can develop Integrated Pest Management (IPm) and Plant Healthcare (PHc) programs to mitigate many of the abiotic and biotic forces plaguing trees in urban ecosystems.

Plant Healthcare - Soils

Pruning

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Technology

Tree Protection

Utility

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