BU-07501     2000

To Order

A Practitioner's Guide to Stem Girdling Roots of Trees

Home Historical Accounts and Current Research Occurrence of SGRs Symptomology Formation of SGRs Physiological and Structural Effects of SGRs Root Collar Examinations Prevention and Treatment of SGRs Glossary and Appendix

Adaptive growth. The elaborate shaping of individual tree designs well-adapted to external loading conditions in order to optimize against external loading factors.

Adventitious root. A root in an unusual position, such as on a stem.

Anatomy. The structure (traditionally internal) of a plant.

Deeply planted. Excessive soil over the root collar flare.

Encircling root. A root that encircles the stem of a tree, either contacting the stem or positioned to contact the stem tissues within a reasonable amount of time.

Etiology. The science of the causes or origins of disease, together with the relations of the causal factor(s) to the host; the study of the causal factor, its nature, and its relations with the host.

Girdling root (sign). Physical evidence that a root is directly impacting another root or stem. The physical evidence would be compression of woody tissues of another root or stem by encircling roots that have contacted the stem or root.

Girdling root syndrome. The etiology of the effects of (stem) girdling roots on the vitality and condition of trees.

Morphology. The (outward) physical structure of a plant (e.g., characteristics of the root system, branch attachment, foliage).

Multiple stress factors. Situations in which more than one soil, environmental, biological, or cultural factor is negatively impacting the vitality and/or condition of trees (e.g., droughty conditions compounded by deicing salt spray, compacted soil, and defoliation by an insect pest).

Physiology. The study of the activities and processes of living organisms (e.g., water movement, nutrient transport, respiration).

Pot bound. The impacted and encircling root system that often develops when a tree has been grown in a container that is too small for normal and uninterrupted root expansion; also referred to as root bound.

Premature fall color and leaf drop. A relative, symptomatic condition, associated with a decline in tree vitality, in which leaves change color and drop earlier than would be expected based on observations of other trees of the same species and other species at the same and other sites.

Root collar or root crown. The area of a tree where tissues differentiate into stem and root. Normally, this area appears swollen or tapered, and is located near or at soil level.

Root collar examination. The removal of soil, mulch, or other materials to sufficiently examine the entire root collar area, potential root aberrations, and/or root and stem conflicts (e.g., SGRs).

Root flare. The enlarged area where stem tissues begin to differentiate into main order, lateral root tissues.

Root graft. The phenomenon in which roots become grafted together, resulting in functional tissue connections.

Secondary and tertiary pests. Animals (usually insects) that attack and further damage stressed trees.

Sign. Physical evidence of a disease/disorder/damage causal agent (e.g., conks, spores, infesting insects).

Stem compression. A reduction in the normal diameter expansion of stems due to the presence of a physical barrier, such as SGRs.

Stem-girdling root syndrome. The accumulation of stress factors and symptoms associated with the compression of stem tissues from girdling roots.

Strain. An irreversible condition beyond stress in which plant mortality occurs.

Stress. A reversible disruption of the normal physiologic activities of a tree.

Stunt. An abnormal reduction in the growth rate and/or size of various morphological features of a tree (e.g., leaf size, stem caliper, root system, annual twig growth).

Symptom. A plant’s visible reaction to the presence of a biotic or abiotic causal agent.

Symptomology. The study of plant disorders and the symptoms associated with those disorders, as well as the characteristic progression from one symptom to another over time.

Vigor. An organism’s genetic capacity for survival or growth.

Vitality. A dynamic condition that distinguishes the living from the nonliving; used as a metric to conceptualize the relative health of a tree in response to its site condition.

Tree Species Observed by Practitioners to Have SGRs

Sources: d’Ambrosio (1990), Hauer and Johnson (1997), Johnson (1999), Johnson and Borst (1999), Johnson and Johnson (1997), Tate (1980), Van Wormer (1937), Van Wormer (1940), Watson et al. (1990)

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