I’m pleased to share that my course, Introduction to Arboriculture and Urban Tree Management, at the Transdisciplinary University in Bengaluru is now live.
It is a 3 credit course which can be attended entirely online, with a mix of prerecorded and live sessions.
It covers basics of tree functions and characteristics, urban tree planting, pruning and assessment. The aim is to support the transition towards more informed, science-based and appropriate tree management practices in India.
Developing arboriculture in India requires both knowledge and a shift in how we understand and manage trees in our urban environments.
I hope this course can contribute to that process.
Successful tree transplanting requires both logistical precision and arboricultural knowledge. To simplify the process, I’ve built an online Tree Transplant Calculator that helps you determine the necessary dimensions and equipment for your move. Why? Because most people don’t know the basic logistical requirements involved in successful tree transplanting.
Planning with Accuracy
This tool helps you estimate root ball size and crane capacity by inputting tree DBH, height, lift radius (crane reach requirements), soil density, and wood density with tooltips for each parameter to help determine the values required for more accurate calculations.
You can calculate the values for multiple trees and download the results in a PDF or CSV format.
A Tool, Not a Plan
Please note this is an estimating tool, not a final lift plan. It is designed to assist your planning and coordination with lifting supervisors, but a professional must always verify manufacturer load charts and create a formal Method Statement before any operation begins.
I have started to upload the arboriculture related courses, that I was teaching at the Auroville Botanical Gardens, to Udemy to make them more accessible to people. It is part of the series to learn about different aspects of arboriculture for aspiring arborists.
There is currently a free course called “What is a tree?” and a paid one on urban tree planting (urban because I believe it to be the hardest place to plant trees). Please take a look, if it interests, and give me some feedback and ratings. Thank you
Follow the links below to enroll in the courses
What is a Tree?
A short course exploring what makes a tree a tree — ideal for beginners and tree professionals alike.
Continuing to improve understanding and integration of green infrastructure, specifically trees and their management, into the urban fabric, I will be presenting at this one day event in Bengaluru. Treecare, a close collaborator, will be giving climbing demonstrations.
There is no space to join in person, but to join online, you can follow this Conference Link.
Yes, neem trees lose their leaves every year, sometimes multiple times but, if a tree ends up with dead leaves up in the canopy then there is a problem due to an external factor. Yes, neem dieback has been around for some time and some trees recover from it. All neem trees that I have inspected have been affected by this to some extent. Older trees, very young trees and trees in poor condition or environments will likely be the most affected.
In the image below is the tea mosquito (Helopeltis antonii)which is one way that the fungus (Phomopsis azadirachtae) is transimitted which then causes the specific neem dieback disease (scientific evidence below).
Why do I think this is an issue now?
Because we have had successive drought years and a very wet year both of which can be detrimental for neems. Some of the trees have been defoliated twice in two years and some even more. Repeated defoliation of trees can lead to tree death.
Generally, all trees can be vulnerable to drought, especially to prolonged drought. It depends on their condition and the extent of the drought. With regards to excessive rain, if the roots are submerged for an extended period, they will not get oxygen, so they won’t be able to sustain their system (they can’t burn sugars). This FAO document mentions drought and neems. It is how I eventually came to the conclusion that the neems will not be able to deal with this very well (but it is likely to be consisting of even more factors).
The succession of detrimental events is the usual course for the death of a tree. Unlike us, they are not programmed to die. So, if a tree is affected by a disease, it is then more susceptible to other diseases.
What we are doing is making neem trees more resistant to this disease and improving growing conditions in general for them and all surrounding vegetation.
Method and instructions of what we are doing (anyone can do it): Neem Treatment.
This is slightly old as the method has changed but may be useful: Video of Dr. Margarita Correa (MG Ecoduties) explaining treatment: https://youtu.be/aKFwzTVfmuo
From what I understand (or think I understand) the C4 compost acts a positive environment for germination for the bacillus which then will merge with/inoculate the absorbing roots (which will also be prompted to grow due to the new richer environment, hence the combination). Then the Bacillus will induce systemic acquired resistance (which should help with the Phomopsis) along with potentially helping with uptake of water and nutrients through synergies with mycorrhizal fungi.
To give an idea of what could be affected, when surveying about half of Auroville excluding the “Greenbelt” (~2.5 square kilometres) Geomatics have recorded over 3000 neem trees. So there are potentially over 20,000 neem trees in Auroville.
Here is what has been achieved in Auroville, regarding treatment, so far (I am only involved in some of this):
Contributing financially (it costs about RS55 per tree just for the materials and we are all doing this for free) by using the temporary Auroville FS account for this: 253042
Letting me know if you have other methods which work
Inspecting the trees, plotting them and then monitoring them to see how the treatment is acting
I am happy to come by (locally) and explain, show, teach (can be part of a school or research project).
Please let me know if you treat trees somewhere so we can record it (to later check if it works as intended and get statistics. If you want to be involved in this aspect, that is also possible).
This is the first step in setting up a response to a potentially huge loss of neem trees. All networking and collaboration could be improved and should be and if you want to coordinate efforts, please do so as I do not need, or necessarily want, to be involved.
If you have any other ideas, please suggest them (especially if you want to do the legwork).
Many people think neems are the toughest trees around and will manage “no worries” which begs the question of “why are they affected in the first place?”
A presentation I gave providing a brief glimpse into the effects that trees have on our lives and surroundings in an urban setting.
Presentation starts at 3:30.
Recently, in urban settings, trees are being used more as green infrastructure providing ecosystem services rather than merely street furniture. This presentation illustrates some ways in which this applies.
This presentation uses examples from the U.S, the U.K. and from India, where I am based. It includes the positive and negative effects and ways to improve matters with existing trees as well as potential trees. It is based on experience and research from around the world.
This is relevant for architects, town planners, municipal corporations, engineers, landscapers and anybody interested in improving urban forests through arboriculture.
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