Ten John Z. Duling Grants to be Awarded by TREE Fund

(Naperville, Illinois) Twenty-six applications for the 2010 John Z. Duling Grant Program were recently evaluated by the Research and Education Committee of the TREE Fund. The following ten projects ranked highest by the committee, which is chaired by Dr. Hallie Dozier of Louisiana State University, and were recommended to the TREE Fund Trustees for funding. On January 11, 2010, all ten were approved and payments will be issued pending the completion of grant agreement documents. For further explanation of each project, visit www.treefund.org .

Ground penetrating radar: A new technology to locate, assess and preserve tree roots in urban development sites - $9,000
Nina Bassuk, Cornell University

Exploration of woody endophytes for increased tree performance - $8,721
Taryn Bauerle, Cornell University

Rigging speed line forces - $10,000
Joseph Scharf, University of Massachusetts

Uptake, distribution and persistence of systemic fungicides in large palms - $9,000
Monica Elliott, University of Florida

Effect of tree form and branch orientation on load response - $10,000
Ed Gilman, University of Florida

Does propagation method impact survival and growth of below grade planted trees? - $9,931
Michael Arnold, Texas A&M University

Evaluating damage resulting from volcano mulching - $7,000
Gary Watson, Morton Arboretum

Consequences and impacts of wire basket retention and removal on establishment and root morphology of a shallow-rooted and a deep-rooted tree species - $10,000
J. Ryan Stewart, University of Illinois

Effects of root system configuration and partial excavation on tree stability -
$10,000
Stephen Mitchell, University of British Columbia

Cutting Baldcypress off at the knees - $9,982
Michael Arnold, Texas A&M University

On behalf of the TREE Fund Board, Executive Director Janet Bornancin expressed congratulations to the researchers and their academic institutions and said,, “We look forward to the discoveries and answers these projects will provide the arboriculture industry!”

About the Duling Grant Program

The goal of the John Z. Duling Grant Program is to provide seed money or partial support for research and technology transfer projects that advance arboricultural knowledge and address topics that benefit the practical work of arborists. It is named in honor of a leader in the arboriculture profession who left a portion of his estate in 2000 to the ISA Research Trust, now the TREE Fund. The proceeds from his gift are combined with funds raised annually by the TREE Fund to support the John Z. Duling Grant Program.

Projects selected for the Duling Grant Program are expected to be completed within one to three years. Awards are limited to a maximum of $10,000 and no project receives more than one award from this program.

The TREE Fund research priority areas are derived from the Revised National Research and Technology Transfer Agenda for Urban and Community Forestry. This document is also used by the USDA Forest Service.

About the TREE Fund

The Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund (TREE Fund) is an international philanthropic organization that identifies projects and programs to advance knowledge in the field of arboriculture and urban forestry for the benefit of people, trees and the environment. The TREE Fund is the largest non-governmental
provider of research grants and scholarships to improve the science and practice of arboriculture, which refers to the cultivation and management of trees within the landscape.

If you have any questions, please contact Executive Director Janet Bornancin at jbornancin@treefund.org or call 630-369-8300.

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Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund
552 S. Washington St., Suite 109, Naperville, IL 60640
www.treefund.org