TREE Fund

Tree Research & Education Endowment Fund

2005 Grant Archive John Z. Duling Grant 

Measuring Branch Architecture and Localized Wood Strength Properties to Develop Load Distribution Models

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2005 | Jason Grabosky PhD & Gregory Dahle, Rutgers University

Wind, ice, and cultural practices, such as topping, injure a tree’s canopy. The goal of restoration pruning is to return an injured canopy to a condition where it can provide similar benefits to that of a “natural” canopy. Over successive visits, the arborist selectively retains watersprouts that will become the branches upon which the new canopy grows.  Arborists use personal experience and intuition when deciding how to restore a damaged canopy back to acceptable strength levels; yet little is known on how to objectively and reliably predict stability and strength from canopy branch structure.  In order to restore a canopy an arborist needs to understand the underling structure of a canopy in a manner which includes architecture, wood strength properties, and ability to support loads.  This research: (1) investigated how canopy development leads to predictable patterns of iterative growth, (2) ascertained whether these patterns follow naturally proportional distributions and (3) determined their impacts on wood strength properties as branches grow.

Year: 2005

Funding Duration: 1-3 years

Grant Program: John Z Duling

Grant Title: Measuring Branch Architecture and Localized Wood Strength Properties to Develop Load Distribution Models

Researcher: Jason Grabosky

 

Key words: Tree canopy; natural canopy; restorative pruning

Peer Reviewed Publications from Grant:

  • Dahle, Gregory A. and Jason C. Grabosky (2009) Review of Literature on the Function and Allometric Relationships of Tree Stems and Branches. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, 35(6): 311-320. View the Publication >
  • Dahle, G. A. and J. C. Grabosky. 2010. Variation in modulus of elasticity (e) along Acer platanoides l. (Aceraceae) branches. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 9:227-233. View the Publication >
  • Dahle, Gregory A. and Jason C. Grabosky (2010) Allometric patterns in Acer platanoides (Aceraceae) branches. Trees: Structure and Function, 24: 321-326. View the Publication >

General Audience/Trade Publications: none

Presentations: none

For more information on this project, contact the researcher via TREE Fund at treefund@treefund.org.