ALLISON, BRUCE A. 1989. The role of the consulting arborist on construction sites. Arbor Age 9(3):40-42.
“We have met the enemy and he is us.” Our role as consulting arborists is to mitigate this recurring tragedy, to bring the light of knowledge and the power of experience to this situation. Our goal should be maximum credibility and minimum site disturbance—which isn’t always easy to accomplish. The key to doing so is professionalism. As professionals, we must address the problem realistically. We as arborists are representatives of the science of arboriculture, the knoweldge of landscape and amenity trees. As consulting arborists, we contract with an individual, corporation, or others. We do so in order to gather data on a particular problem, to apply our knowledge of arboriculture to that set of data, and to make a reasoned and professional report to our employer.
WHITLOW, THOMAS, H. 1989. Trees for wet soils. Grounds Maintenance 24(3):42, 46, 48.
I am frequently asked by extension agents or landscape architects for a list of trees suited to wet sites. Anyone specifying plants for a problem location should try to have an accurate picture of soil conditions, and this includes gathering information about the site. Trees are a long-term investment in the landscape, and as such, you should place them carefully. Consult a soil survey. Visit the site, and dig or auger some test holes. Why is the site wet, and can you correct the conditions? Correction may be neither possible nor desirable, but if tree health is paramount, it is always preferable to use careful site engineering to reduce the environmental stresses imposed on the plant material. The following list of trees for wet sites is not exhaustive, but it does represent trees with proven flood tolerance.
- © 1989, International Society of Arboriculture. All rights reserved.
