How to Conduct a Tree Survey?
Tree surveys aim to provide a landowner with various data on the trees present there. Such a survey plays an important role in the development of the land and outlines steps to improve the condition of the trees on it. Every good landlord knows that trees boost the value of a property greatly and so need to be preserved. Furthermore, some trees are protected by law, like the Wildlife and Countryside act, which has to do with felling prohibition on protected trees.
Overall, it is clear that tree surveys are important enough so that you should never ignore them. But it is also important to understand how experts conduct them. There are a few types of surveys that are important: tree health surveys targeted surveys and pre-property development surveys. Each of them is specific:
Tree health surveys – inspect the health of all trees on the property, the presence of diseases and pests. Outlines possible cures and prevention methods.
Targeted surveys – these establish the damage and extent of a tree disease. Their goal is to predict further damage and prevent more issues.
Pre-property development survey – this is done to ensure the property complies with the British Standard BS5837: 2012, in the trees concerning the construction part.
So what are the phases of a tree survey? Following are each of them with a rundown of what they include.
Phase 1 – Pre-planning and setting parameters
Before the survey starts, experts plan out how they will conduct it. There are a few methods they can use.
Line transects – perhaps the most common way of conducting tree surveys. It involves walking a series of parallels and evenly-spaced lines. The experts then conduct an exam of all trees on the left and right of these lines.
Quarter-point transects – experts walk a line to the north, south, west and east starting from a diseased tree. That way they can estimate just how many trees are infected and how far the disease has spread.
Radius survey – when trees have great distances between them, this sort of survey is just right. Experts choose a radius and survey all of the tree species in that radius.
Complete survey – looks at all trees for signs of pests and diseases. It is the go-to method for small woodlands and parks.
Most tree surveys take place from the ground, although in some cases experts may need to climb them. This is because they have to examine the branches on top and the crowns. It is essential to pick the right time for a tree survey since not all diseases are active during certain seasons.
Phase 2 – Additional work
- For a survey to be considered viable, experts need to do the following:
- Note the position, species and condition of trees
- Check dimensions and crown spread
- Check leaf colour
- Inspect for deadwood and damaged branches
- Check for ivy growth, swellings, fungus, ark damage
- Check for exposed roots and root damage
- Check for cracks in the soil or uplifting of the concrete structures
- Experts will use tree tags to map the surveyed trees. When they are done, there will be an assessment of the value of the landscape.
Phase 3 – Impact assessment
During this phase, experts assess the impact of tree damage on the property. It contains such details, as what trees need to be removed, how to protect trees during the construction process and other recommendations to best preserve trees.
Tree surveys are an important part of tree maintenance and finding the right experts to conduct them is equally crucial.
© Treework Environmental Practice
