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Autor(i)/Author(s): Viera Paganová, Michaela Vyhnáliková

Názov/Title: Pruning Urban Trees – Type and Quality According to Arborist Union Standards

Zdrojový dokument/Source: Plants in Urban Areas and Landscape

Typ dokumentu/Document Type: Scientific paper

ISSN: 2585-9811

ISBN: 978-80-552-1829-8

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15414/PUAL/2018.29-34

Vydavateľ/Publisher: Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra

Rok, strany/PY, pages: 2018, 29-34

Publikované online/Published on-line: 2018-05-20

Jazyk/Language: eng

Abstract: The aim of the study was assessment of the extent and structure of pruning within urban tree management in the public greenery and comparison of the quality with union standards on example of the city Nitra. In 2016, all interventions were carried out on street trees, on trees in the greenery of residential areas and around the apartment buildings. All pruning has been performed on adult trees (142 specimens in total). The basic data about pruning of trees in the public greenery were obtained from the register of the Department of Urban Greenery Management and Maintenance and City Services Centre in Nitra. Within the field survey the type of pruning and its technical accuracy were evaluated, as well as the quality of the pruning performed on trees in relation to the Arborist Standard “Pruning of Trees”. The highest rate had reductive pruning due to improvement of the operating conditions around trees (59 %) in the following structure: trimming of trees towards an obstacle (22 %), crown reduction (27 %), crown rising (9 %), and local reduction (1%). In many cases, the reductive pruning was necessary due to inappropriate positions of the trees growing very close to buildings. Quite often, the reductive pruning was a consequence of the missing or neglected trimming during the juvenile stage of tree growth. Within the field assessment, a high rate of the crown topping (24%) connected with severe reduction of the trunk and branches were found, although in several cases, such intervention was not appropriate neither founded. Then, substantial part of the crown of a tree was removed (crown topping) instead of selective removal of branches (crown reduction). This error can be a result of a vaguely formulated subject of matter in the contract. The obtained results show that only 48% of the pruning were made in good quality and were technically correct. There were found discrepancies in the terminology and specification for procurement of the tree trimming in comparison with the Arborist Standard “Pruning of Trees”. In several cases performance of trimming did not meet the arborist union standard. These facts can adversely affect the quality and purpose of the tree pruning in the cities. The results also show that in the future, greater attention should be paid to pruning of young trees. Guidance of growth of young trees and correction of growth defects is crucial for their successful growth and functionality, as well as for decrease in volume of the reductive and stabilizing pruning of adult trees.

Keywords: urban trees, tree pruning, urban areas, maintenance, standards

Práva/Rights: Act on copyright and rights related to copyright (Copyright Act) as amended (consolidated version), Slovak Republic; Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Licence
Creative Commons License
Toto dielo je publikované pod/This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.