CHLOROPHYLL FLUORESCENCE

We use Arborcheck chlorophyll fluorescence instruments to assess tree vitality.

Results can indicate many forms of stress long before visual indicators,such as leaf colour change, early leaf fall, increasing dieback and deadwood etc., are evident.

Physiological stress caused, for example, by drought, nutrient deficiencies, chemical damage, root loss or damage, can be detected early, allowing remedial measures to be taken if appropriate.

Chlorophyll fluorescence testing has many applications, key uses being:

Testing of trees pre and post-development Damage caused to trees from soil compaction and root damage, often does not manifest itself for some time after completion of works. Monitoring can be used to demonstrate that tree protection measures and best practice have been effective.

Legal issues Suspected or alleged damage to trees can take a long time to be obvious from visual assessment. Arborcheck can detect the early stages of decline and be used to gather evidence for prosecution if necessary.

Monitoring of damaged trees or those affected by pathogens Where a tree is known to have been damaged or has symptoms of a disease, monitoring can be used to evaluate how this is affecting the tree's health.

Monitoring the efficacy of treatments Various treatments are available for trees known or suspected of suffering damage, whether from compaction, root damage, disease, or other factors. In addition to allowing for very early recognition of stress factors, Arborcheck can be used to test whether treatments have been successful.

Selection and testing of new planting stock Arborcheck allows trees to be tested (when in leaf) prior to purchase to ensure that the vitality of the tree is sound from a physiological stand point in addition to a visual perspective.

The first few years post-planting are critical for a young tree to achieve independence within the landscape. In addition to stock with poor physiological condition, trees can fail for a variety of reasons including inadequate planting or poor routine maintenance.

The recent British Standard “BS8545 Trees: from nursery to independence in the landscape – Recommendations” describes the use of chlorophyll fluorescence and chlorophyll content measurements as tests that “should be carried out wherever practicable”. Arborcheck can help to highlight abnormal decline in tree vitality post-planting so that remedial work may be carried out before the tree becomes a costly re-planting exercise.

The Arborcheck system has been developed in collaboration with Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories and Barcham Trees.

The techniques used in testing have strong grounding in peer-reviewed scientific publications.