Managing Risk in the Urban Forest - Part 2: Tree Risk Assessment

Wherever trees are near people and property, the risk of damage or injury exists. Any tree, whether it has observable defects or not, will fail if forces are applied that exceed the material strength of the wood... Arborists have a duty to inspect and manage trees in a reasonable manner. It is unreasonable to expect that every tree will be managed in such a way as to eliminate any risk.

This article is the second in a series of four on the topic of risk management and addresses tree failure risk assessment. [Matheny and Clark]

Sections of this article include: risk vs hazard, defining tree risk assessment, developing a risk assessment program, performing a tree risk assessment, and key ideas about risk assessment