Best Management Practices for Urban Trees
Quick Reference
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Webinar Date | January 15, 2026 |
| Speaker | Dr. Ryan Klein, Assistant Professor of Arboriculture, University of Florida |
| Moderator | Dr. Bodie Pennisi, Horticulturist, University of Georgia |
| Series | Getting the Best of Pests — Green & Commercial |
| Duration | 51 minutes, 30 seconds |
| CEU Categories | Pending assignment |
| Format | Recorded webinar with chapter markers for self-paced viewing |
CEU Information
Status: CEU categories have not yet been assigned for this session.
Likely applicable categories (pending official assignment):
- Category 24 — Ornamental and Turf Pest Control (primary Green & Commercial audience)
- Category 27 — Right-of-Way Pest Control (relevant to municipal tree management along rights-of-way)
Confirm CEU eligibility and applicable categories with the GTBOP program coordinator before using this session for credit.
Viewing Instructions for Asynchronous Use
This recorded webinar is suitable for self-paced viewing by individuals or groups. The video includes chapter markers corresponding to the timestamps listed below, allowing agents to navigate directly to specific topics.
For individual viewing: Watch the full recording (51:30). The chapter markers allow pausing and resuming across sessions.
For group viewing at county programs: The presentation divides naturally into three segments that can be shown with discussion breaks:
| Segment | Chapters | Duration | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | 0:00 – 14:24 | ~14 min | Why urban trees fail: development pressure, climate change, hurricanes, urban stressors |
| Part 2 | 14:24 – 34:00 | ~20 min | Planning and design: right tree right place, site evaluation, planting strip width, spacing, nursery stock, Florida Trees tool |
| Part 3 | 34:00 – 49:13 | ~15 min | Hands-on practices: planting procedures, root defects, mulching, structural pruning, mature tree management |
Content Summary
Dr. Ryan Klein presented a comprehensive overview of best management practices for urban trees from planting through maturity. Key topics include:
Urban forest challenges — Population growth and development pressure; climate change shifting hardiness zones (Athens, GA already moved from 7B to 8A); increased hurricane frequency and intensity; urban stressors reducing tree lifespan compared to rural areas.
Species selection and site design — The “right tree, right place” principle; trees not providing net benefits until approximately 25 years, making proper matching critical; site evaluation covering above-ground and below-ground factors; planting strip width research showing live oaks need 16-foot strips at maturity; benefits of closer tree spacing for wind resistance and reduced pruning needs.
Planting best practices — Nursery stock quality evaluation (Florida grading standards); root defect identification and correction through root ball shaving; proper planting depth (slightly above grade); mulching guidelines (2–3 inches, 6–8 foot ring, no volcano mulching); drainage and soil considerations.
Structural pruning — Maintaining dominant central leader in young trees; small, frequent cuts versus large corrective cuts later; managing mature trees by reducing loading on canopy exterior; ANSI A300 standards as pruning guidance.
Current research — Nursery grading standards study, biochar soil amendments, tree spacing impacts, irrigation studies, large tree moving, pruning studies.
Topics of Particular Interest for County Programs
This session is well suited for audiences involved in municipal tree management, landscape design, and residential tree care. Specific topics that may resonate with county-level programming:
- Planting strip width requirements — Practical, research-based guidance agents can share with municipal planners and public works departments
- Right tree, right place — The Florida Trees online tool (hardiness zones 8–11) provides a hands-on resource agents can demonstrate or recommend
- Root defect identification — Visual examples of circling, girdling, and diving roots with practical correction methods at planting
- Climate adaptation — Hardiness zone shifts directly affecting species selection in Georgia; future climate analog tools
- Hurricane preparedness — Wind resistance species rankings (Duryea et al. 2007; Koeser & Salisbury 2023 FEMA document) applicable to Southeast coastal and inland areas
Video Chapters
0:00 Introduction and Speaker Bio
1:09 Urban Tree Best Management Practices Overview
4:04 Population Growth and Development Pressures
5:44 Climate Change and Shifting Hardiness Zones
9:36 Hurricane Impacts on Urban Forests
12:47 Urban Stressors and Reduced Tree Lifespan
14:24 Right Tree, Right Place
17:04 Site Evaluation for Tree Planting
20:00 Small Planting Spaces and Common Mistakes
22:37 Trunk Flare Research and Planting Strip Width
25:39 Tree Spacing and Wind Resistance
28:37 Nursery Stock Grading Standards
30:33 Florida Trees Online Species Selection Tool
34:00 Planting Procedures and Root Ball Preparation
37:58 Root Defects, Soil Amendments, and Mulching
41:03 Structural Pruning Principles
45:18 Managing Mature Trees
48:04 Current Research at University of Florida
49:13 Audience Discussion and Closing
Resources Referenced by Speaker
- Florida Trees — UF/IFAS online species selection tool (hardiness zones 8–11)
- Duryea et al. (2007) — Wind resistance rankings for 76 species
- Koeser & Salisbury (2023) — FEMA hurricane wind resistant tree rankings (281 species)
- ISA Best Management Practices for Tree Planting
- ANSI A300 Pruning Standards
- UF/IFAS EDIS Fact Sheets — 1,100+ tree species
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Studies — Future climate analog tool
- Davey / Arbor Day Foundation — Future plant hardiness zone map
Prepared for UGA Cooperative Extension / GTBOP Archives
For questions about CEU eligibility, contact the GTBOP program coordinator.