BMP Pruning Vocab Flashcards
Branch
A shoot or stem arising from another branch or stem
Branch bark ridge
Raised strip of bark at the top of a branch union where the growth and expansion of the trunk or parent stem and adjoining branch push the bark into a ridge
Branch collar
The area of swelling at the union between a parent stem and a smaller branch
Branch protection zone
Chemically and physically modified tissue within the trunk and parent branch at the base of a smaller, subordinate branch that retards the spread of discoloration and decay from the subordinate stem into the trunk or parent branch
Branch removal cut (previously termed a thinning cut or removal cut)
Pruning cut that removes the smaller of two branches at a union, or a parent stem. Removal cuts retain the branch bark ridge or branch collar and do not create a stub.
Cambium
Thin layer(s) of meristematic cells that give rise (outward) to the phloem and (inward) to the xylem, increasing stem and root diameter.
Clean
Arboriculture term used to describe selective pruning to remove one or more of the following: dead, diseased, infested, and/or broken branches
Climbing Spurs
Sharp, pointed devices strapped to a climbers lower legs to assist in climbing poles or trees being removed. Also called spikes, gaffs, irons, hooks, or climbers
Closure (wound closure, close)
The process in a wood plant by which wound wood grows over a pruning cut or injury
Codominant stem / Codominant branch
Two or more branches of similar diameter arising from a common union and lacking a collar.
Compartmentalization
Natural defense process in trees by which chemical and physical boundaries are created that act to limit the spread of disease and decay organisms
Crown
Upper part of a tree, measured from the lowest branch, including all the branches and foliage
Culm
The stem of a grass or sedge, including the woody, hollow aerial stem of bamboo
Decay
1(noun) an area of wood that is undergoing decomposition
2(verb) decomposition of organic tissues by fungi or bacteria
Directional Pruning
Selective removal of branches to guide and/or discourage growth in a particular direction
Dominant leader/trunk/stem
The stem that grows much larger than all other stems and branches
Frond
Large, divided leaf structure found in palms and ferns
Espalier
A pruning system that trains plants to grow within a plane, such as along a wall or a fence
Flush Cut
A pruning cut that removes the branch bark ridge and/or branch collar, damaging the trunk or parent branch
Good structure / architecture/ form
Branch and trunk architecture resulting in a canopy form that resists failure
Heading
A pruning cut that removes a branch or stem between nodes (leaving a stub), to a bud, or to a live branch that is less than one third the diameter of the branch or stem being removed
Included Bark
Bark that becomes embedded in a union (crotch) between branch and trunk or between Codominant stems. Causes a weakness in the union.
Lateral
A branch arising from a larger stem or branch
Leader
Primary terminal shoot or trunk of a tree. Large, usually upright stem. A stem that dominates a portion of the crown by surprising lateral branches.
Lion-Tailing
Excessive removal of lower or interior branches on main scaffolds that results in a concentration of growth and foliage at branch ends. It is considered an unacceptable practice.
Live Crown Ratio
The ratio of the height of the crown containing live foliage to the overall height of the tree