CATS Arborist Albuquerque Tree Health & Disease Management 4

Question 1

Which condition in Albuquerque's urban environment most frequently predisposes trees to secondary pest and disease attack?

Accepted Answer

Chronic drought stress combined with soil compaction

Answer

Excessive rainfall in spring

Answer

Frost damage in December

Answer

Over-pruning in autumn

Question 2

When diagnosing suspected root rot in a declining landscape tree, which pathogen genus is most commonly found in New Mexico's poorly drained soils?

Accepted Answer

Phytophthora

Answer

Fusarium

Answer

Armillaria

Answer

Botryosphaeria

Question 3

A client reports that their cottonwood's leaves turn yellow and drop prematurely each August. What is the most likely cause in Albuquerque?

Accepted Answer

Marssonina leaf spot (cottonwood leaf blight)

Answer

Cottonwood borer infestation

Answer

Verticillium wilt

Answer

Salt spray damage from roads

Question 4

What pruning practice should be strictly avoided when managing trees infected with fire blight in Albuquerque?

Accepted Answer

Pruning without disinfecting tools between cuts

Answer

Pruning in dry weather

Answer

Pruning during dormancy

Answer

Pruning less than 12 inches below visible infection

Question 5

What does 'CODIT' stand for and why is it relevant to arborist disease management?

Accepted Answer

Compartmentalization Of Decay In Trees — explaining how trees wall off wounded or infected tissue

Answer

Certified Operator Damage Inspection Table — a pruning audit form

Answer

Crown Or Decline Identification Test — a field diagnostic checklist

Answer

Combined Oak Disease and Insect Tracking — an ISA reporting system

Question 6

Which method of pesticide application delivers the most targeted treatment for a canopy insect pest on a large tree in an urban setting?

Accepted Answer

Aerial trunk injection with a pressurized system

Answer

Granular soil application

Answer

Trunk basal bark spray

Answer

Broadcast foliar spray with a hand pump

Question 7

A newly transplanted oak in Albuquerque shows leaf scorch on margins. Which is the most likely primary cause?

Accepted Answer

Transplant shock causing insufficient water uptake relative to leaf demand

Answer

Fungal leaf spot disease

Answer

Excess nitrogen fertilizer burn

Answer

Aphid feeding damage