CATS Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the CATS exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 CATS Exam Format at a Glance
📚 CATS Topics to Study (69)
✍️ Sample CATS Questions & Answers
1. Why is it recommended to remove wire baskets and burlap from rootballs during planting?
Non-degraded wire and burlap can girdle roots and restrict outward growth for years, ultimately weakening tree structure.
2. Phytophthora cinnamomi root rot is particularly devastating to which ornamental tree commonly planted in Albuquerque landscapes?
Arizona cypress is highly susceptible to Phytophthora cinnamomi, which thrives under overwatering conditions common in urban landscapes.
3. Which failure mode is described as the separation of a branch or stem at a point other than a union or attachment point?
Stem failure (also called mid-stem or trunk failure) occurs when wood fractures along the stem rather than at a branch union or root plate.
4. What is the 'branch bark ridge' and why is it important for pruning cuts in Albuquerque trees?
The branch bark ridge is the raised bark at the union of a branch and trunk; proper pruning cuts are made just outside this ridge and the branch collar to allow the tree to compartmentalize the wound effectively.
5. When assessing a tree near Albuquerque utility lines, which defect most increases the urgency of risk mitigation?
Dead branches near energized conductors combine a high likelihood of failure with a target that creates public safety and utility outage risk, requiring urgent action.
6. What is 'chlorosis' in trees and what is a common cause in Albuquerque's alkaline soils?
Chlorosis is interveinal or overall leaf yellowing from reduced chlorophyll production; in Albuquerque's high-pH soils, iron becomes insoluble and unavailable, causing iron chlorosis.