GLOSSARY
Here you will find a helpful guide of words that are commonly used by Tree Care companies, to help you understand more about what you're signing up for.
Arboriculture: the practice of growing, managing, and studying trees, shrubs, and other perennial woody plants. It's like being a doctor and caretaker specifically for trees and similar plants.
Bark splitting: a condition where the outer layer of a tree's bark cracks or splits open, often due to environmental stressors like rapid temperature changes, physical injury, or diseases, and can lead to further health problems for the tree.
Crown dieback: a condition in trees where the leaves in the upper part of the tree (the crown) start to die off, typically due to stress factors like disease, pests, drought, or root damage, indicating the tree's overall health is declining.
Cytospora canker: a fungal disease that attacks trees, especially species like aspens and poplars, causing sunken, discolored areas on the bark, and can lead to branch dieback and overall tree decline.
Dutch elm disease: a serious fungal disease spread by bark beetles, which infects and blocks the water-conducting systems of elm trees, leading to leaf yellowing, wilting, and ultimately the death of the tree.
Emerald Ash Borer: a small, metallic green beetle native to Asia that infests and causes significant damage to ash trees, often leading to the death of the tree within a few years of infestation.
Endemic pests: refers to insects or organisms that are native to a specific region and can cause harm to plants or trees within that area. These pests are naturally occurring in that environment, as opposed to being introduced from elsewhere.
Mountain Pine Beetle: a small insect that burrows into and damages pine trees, often leading to widespread tree death in forests, particularly in the western USA and Canada
Pest management: Pest management refers to the practice of controlling or eliminating pests to protect plants, crops, and environments, often using a variety of methods such as chemical treatments, natural predators, or traps.
Integrated pest management (IPM) is a more comprehensive approach that combines different strategies and techniques to manage pests in the most effective, economical, and environmentally sensitive way. It involves understanding the pest's life cycle, using a variety of control methods, and applying them at the right time to keep pest numbers at manageable levels while minimizing harm to other organisms and the environment.
Witches' broom: a deformity in a tree's growth where a dense mass of shoots or twigs grows from a single point, resembling a broom or bird's nest, often caused by factors like fungal infections, mites, or environmental stress.