Tree Services Definitions

Arborist – a professional in the practice of arboriculture, which is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants.

Bark inclusion – A narrow or appressed junction between two or more branches where bark formation continues to develop, gradually pushing the adjacent limb out from the primary one causing severe stress on the internal wood structure.

Branch collar – A branch collar is the attachment structure in woody plants that connects a branch to its parent branch or to the trunk.

Coarse pruning – consists of removal of dead, diseased or obviously weak branches down to 50mm in diameter.

Crown / canopy – consists of the mass of foliage and branches growing outward from the trunk of the tree.

Crown / canopy lifting – the removal of the lower branches of a tree to a given height
Crown / canopy reduction – Reducing the height and or spread of a tree by selectively cutting back to smaller branches.

Deadwood – the dead branches or wood on a tree.

Deadwooding – the removal of deadwood from a tree.

Deciduous trees – trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally.

Fine pruning – removal of dead and diseased tissue, crossing and weak branches down to 12mm in diameter.

Foliage – the leaves of a plant or tree.

Formative pruning – Pruning of a tree while it is still young to maintain a particular shape and reduce likelihood of future problems.

Leader – primary stem of a plant, usually the top stem.

Limb – any of the main branches arising from the trunk of a tree.

Medium pruning – removal of dead and diseased tissue, crossing and weak branches on the main trunk as well as those inside the leaf area down to 25mm in diameter.

Pruning – The removal of dead, dying and diseased branches which may cause a tree distress and unstable growth.

Selective pruning – the removal of specific branches without being detrimental to the health of the tree.

Stem – The main body or stalk of a plant or shrub.

Thinning – includes crown clearing and the selective removal of branches to increase light penetration and air movement through the crown .

Trunk – The main stem of a tree usually covered with bark.