ISA MUNICIPAL ARBORIST 2026 EXAMINERS SET
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Major components of a comprehensive street tree management plan - ✔✔Identify
locations and sequence of planting to optimize tree cover; identify tasks to be preformed
and their priority for allocation of funds; tree replacement policy to when trees will be
removed and replaced; actions to create a wide range of species and ages; information-
education program between public and agency; how to incorporate agents of change
that arise over time to accomplish goals
✔✔Municipal arborists' role in meeting criteria for urban forest sustainability -
✔✔Providing expertise and action in selecting, installing, and maintaining new trees,
and preserving and maintaining existing trees; providing expertise and outreach to the
community and green industries; adopting and adhering to professional standards for
tree care
✔✔In developing an urban forest master plan, the vegetation that should be considered
includes - ✔✔Street trees, parks, greenbelts. NOT ecological preserves or residential
gardens
✔✔Examples of comprehensive goals of an urban forest management plan -
✔✔Defining the percentage of canopy cover; policies for risk management versus tree
removal, and encouraging public participation
,✔✔Work plan time frame - ✔✔Immediate (1-2 years)
✔✔Master plan time frame - ✔✔Long range (>10 years)
✔✔Management plan time frame - ✔✔Short term (3-5 years) or intermediate (5-10
years)
✔✔Successful tree preservation requires __________ for adequate __________ for
tree root and crown development and function. - ✔✔planning and space
✔✔Tree inventory - ✔✔Data are collected about individual trees within a population.
The data usually includes species, size, health, structural condition, location, and
maintenance requirements.
✔✔Natural resource inventory - ✔✔Assessment is done on a group level (rather than
for individual trees). The data usually includes stand density, age distribution, and
species composition, as well as associated vegetation, fauna, and ecological and
geological features often are included.
✔✔i-Tree - ✔✔Software tool that links STRATUM, UFORE, and MCTI. i-Tree allows
communities to analyze the costs, benefits, and management needs of their urban
forest using integrated computer tools. i-Tree can be used within a community to
compare and contrast the cost and benefits of different tree species, sizes, and life
span. i-Tree is different from commercial tree inventory software in that it uses USDA
Forest Service software to analyze costs and benefits of the urban forest.
✔✔MCTI - ✔✔Mobile Community Inventory Tool
✔✔Cost-benefit analysis compares - ✔✔The value of all benefits to all associated costs
associated with tree management.
✔✔Street tree planting goals - ✔✔Planting in all available spaces; planting a diverse
range of species; equalizing the number of trees in neighborhoods across the city.
✔✔Three main factors to consider when selecting tree species for planting at a site -
✔✔1) Site factors, including environmental constraints (soil, climate, slope, elevation)
and cultural constraints (existing utilities, structures, surface cover, pollution); 2)
Economic factors, including establishment, maintenance, and removal costs; 3) Social
factors, including aesthetics, functions, negative characteristics (e.g. messy fruit), public
safety, and neighborhood and community values.
✔✔Desired qualities for a tree species that will be planted in the narrow space between
the curb and sidewalk - ✔✔Produces minimal litter, develops minimal basal flare, not
, prone to developing large surface roots, mature trunk diameter less than 2/3rds the
width of the planting strip.
✔✔Ordinance - ✔✔legal document that defines a public agency's authority, describes
required conditions or actions, establishes penalties for nonconformance, and identifies
who is responsible for enforcement and oversight
✔✔Two branches of municipal governance - ✔✔Legislative (the city council) and
executive (the mayor or city manager)
✔✔Public management - ✔✔Management philosophy that applies business principals
to social and environmental issues. It considers management of public and private
sector organizations to be similar and applies the same models and techniques to
improve effectiveness and efficiency.
✔✔Three possible outside sources or funding for municipal forestry programs - ✔✔1)
Business (sponsorship, donations, cause-related marketing, volunteers); 2) Foundations
(grant aid, facilitative and technical assistance); 3) Individual (donations, planned gifts,
volunteers)
✔✔Capital budgets - ✔✔Capital budgets cover construction, replacement, and
maintenance of physical improvements and purchases that will be used for many years.
Costs associated with the urban forest could be considered a capital expense since
trees are long-lived assets the provide measurable benefits. In addition, they improve
other infrastructure assets, such as casting shade that prolongs the useful life of
pavement.
✔✔Operational budgets - ✔✔Operational budgets cover annual or day-today activities,
including salaries, rent, utilities, and supplies.
✔✔Performance management - ✔✔Results-oriented management that identifies
performance goals, assesses progress, and measures success. Progress is monitored
through feedback such as budget reports, personnel records, reports, and inspections.
✔✔Organizational costs to be considered when evaluating the true cost of performing
tasks - ✔✔1) Overhead costs (management, rent, utilities, hand tools, motorized
equipment, material, training, uniforms, wages, marketing and advertisement). 2) Fringe
benefits (health insurance, life insurance, retirement, dental insurance, long-term
disability insurance, vacation hours, paid holidays, sick leave).
✔✔Five systems used to track and manage work and costs - ✔✔1) Daily report and
work history systems; 2) maintenance management systems; 3) Service request
systems; 4) Asset inventory systems; 5) General ledger and subledger financial
systems.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Major components of a comprehensive street tree management plan - ✔✔Identify
locations and sequence of planting to optimize tree cover; identify tasks to be preformed
and their priority for allocation of funds; tree replacement policy to when trees will be
removed and replaced; actions to create a wide range of species and ages; information-
education program between public and agency; how to incorporate agents of change
that arise over time to accomplish goals
✔✔Municipal arborists' role in meeting criteria for urban forest sustainability -
✔✔Providing expertise and action in selecting, installing, and maintaining new trees,
and preserving and maintaining existing trees; providing expertise and outreach to the
community and green industries; adopting and adhering to professional standards for
tree care
✔✔In developing an urban forest master plan, the vegetation that should be considered
includes - ✔✔Street trees, parks, greenbelts. NOT ecological preserves or residential
gardens
✔✔Examples of comprehensive goals of an urban forest management plan -
✔✔Defining the percentage of canopy cover; policies for risk management versus tree
removal, and encouraging public participation
,✔✔Work plan time frame - ✔✔Immediate (1-2 years)
✔✔Master plan time frame - ✔✔Long range (>10 years)
✔✔Management plan time frame - ✔✔Short term (3-5 years) or intermediate (5-10
years)
✔✔Successful tree preservation requires __________ for adequate __________ for
tree root and crown development and function. - ✔✔planning and space
✔✔Tree inventory - ✔✔Data are collected about individual trees within a population.
The data usually includes species, size, health, structural condition, location, and
maintenance requirements.
✔✔Natural resource inventory - ✔✔Assessment is done on a group level (rather than
for individual trees). The data usually includes stand density, age distribution, and
species composition, as well as associated vegetation, fauna, and ecological and
geological features often are included.
✔✔i-Tree - ✔✔Software tool that links STRATUM, UFORE, and MCTI. i-Tree allows
communities to analyze the costs, benefits, and management needs of their urban
forest using integrated computer tools. i-Tree can be used within a community to
compare and contrast the cost and benefits of different tree species, sizes, and life
span. i-Tree is different from commercial tree inventory software in that it uses USDA
Forest Service software to analyze costs and benefits of the urban forest.
✔✔MCTI - ✔✔Mobile Community Inventory Tool
✔✔Cost-benefit analysis compares - ✔✔The value of all benefits to all associated costs
associated with tree management.
✔✔Street tree planting goals - ✔✔Planting in all available spaces; planting a diverse
range of species; equalizing the number of trees in neighborhoods across the city.
✔✔Three main factors to consider when selecting tree species for planting at a site -
✔✔1) Site factors, including environmental constraints (soil, climate, slope, elevation)
and cultural constraints (existing utilities, structures, surface cover, pollution); 2)
Economic factors, including establishment, maintenance, and removal costs; 3) Social
factors, including aesthetics, functions, negative characteristics (e.g. messy fruit), public
safety, and neighborhood and community values.
✔✔Desired qualities for a tree species that will be planted in the narrow space between
the curb and sidewalk - ✔✔Produces minimal litter, develops minimal basal flare, not
, prone to developing large surface roots, mature trunk diameter less than 2/3rds the
width of the planting strip.
✔✔Ordinance - ✔✔legal document that defines a public agency's authority, describes
required conditions or actions, establishes penalties for nonconformance, and identifies
who is responsible for enforcement and oversight
✔✔Two branches of municipal governance - ✔✔Legislative (the city council) and
executive (the mayor or city manager)
✔✔Public management - ✔✔Management philosophy that applies business principals
to social and environmental issues. It considers management of public and private
sector organizations to be similar and applies the same models and techniques to
improve effectiveness and efficiency.
✔✔Three possible outside sources or funding for municipal forestry programs - ✔✔1)
Business (sponsorship, donations, cause-related marketing, volunteers); 2) Foundations
(grant aid, facilitative and technical assistance); 3) Individual (donations, planned gifts,
volunteers)
✔✔Capital budgets - ✔✔Capital budgets cover construction, replacement, and
maintenance of physical improvements and purchases that will be used for many years.
Costs associated with the urban forest could be considered a capital expense since
trees are long-lived assets the provide measurable benefits. In addition, they improve
other infrastructure assets, such as casting shade that prolongs the useful life of
pavement.
✔✔Operational budgets - ✔✔Operational budgets cover annual or day-today activities,
including salaries, rent, utilities, and supplies.
✔✔Performance management - ✔✔Results-oriented management that identifies
performance goals, assesses progress, and measures success. Progress is monitored
through feedback such as budget reports, personnel records, reports, and inspections.
✔✔Organizational costs to be considered when evaluating the true cost of performing
tasks - ✔✔1) Overhead costs (management, rent, utilities, hand tools, motorized
equipment, material, training, uniforms, wages, marketing and advertisement). 2) Fringe
benefits (health insurance, life insurance, retirement, dental insurance, long-term
disability insurance, vacation hours, paid holidays, sick leave).
✔✔Five systems used to track and manage work and costs - ✔✔1) Daily report and
work history systems; 2) maintenance management systems; 3) Service request
systems; 4) Asset inventory systems; 5) General ledger and subledger financial
systems.
