Tree Health Diagnostics, Dendrology & Decline Assessment

Fall is a critical time to assess tree health, as foliage color changes, late-season diseases, and root stresses reveal issues that may go unnoticed during the growing season. This course equips arborists with advanced tools for diagnosing decline, integrating fall foliage analysis, disease symptom recognition, root health evaluation, and tree-ring analysis.

Participants will also strengthen their dendrology skills, using identification traits such as bark, buds, branching, and leaves to improve diagnostic accuracy. The course highlights how short-term symptoms and long-term decline indicators can be combined into stronger, science-based assessments.

Learning Outcomes

• Interpret fall foliage coloration and tree identification traits as indicators of stress and decline.
• Identify late-season fungal and abiotic disorders affecting tree health.
• Apply tree-ring analysis to detect past stress events such as drought, construction injury, or disease progression.
• Integrate multiple diagnostic tools into comprehensive assessments of tree decline.