RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Detecting Stress in Southern Live Oak (Quercus Virginiana) and Sand Live Oak (Q. Virginiana Var. Geminata) JF Arboriculture & Urban Forestry (AUF) JO JOA FD International Society of Arboriculture SP 146 OP 153 DO 10.48044/jauf.2004.018 VO 30 IS 3 A1 Donald Kent A1 Deborah Halcrow A1 Tom Wyatt A1 Scott Shultz YR 2004 UL http://auf.isa-arbor.com/content/30/3/146.abstract AB Walt Disney World (Florida, U.S.) arborists evaluated three affordable and easy-to-use measures of tree stress—leaf chlorophyll concentration, leaf temperature, and water potential— for use in detecting water and physical injury stress in live oak. The evaluation included observations of trees being relocated, and experiments of girdled trees and trees subjected to various watering regimes. Leaf chlorophyll concentration was largely unresponsive to stress and unlikely to be useful as a stress indicator in sand live oak and southern live oak. Both water potential and leaf temperature were responsive to imparted stressors and have potential as indicators of stress in sand live oak and southern live oak. Water potential exhibited a predictable and consistent response to both water stress and physical injury. Inadequately watered live oaks, and oaks subject to relocation, had lower water potentials than oaks with an adequate water regime or in situ. By contrast, live oaks injured by girdling had higher water potential than nongirdled trees. Leaf temperature was less sensitive and less robust at detecting stress than water potential, but still potentially useful. Leaf temperature was greater for a nonirrigated relocated tree than an irrigated relocated tree, and for relocated trees when rootballed and immediately after relocation. Leaf temperature was largely unresponsive to girdling or mild water stress.