ISA BCMA case studies

ISA BCMA · Put your knowledge to work in context.

The Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA) is an advanced credential issued by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). It is intended for experienced tree care practitioners who already work at a high level of technical skill and want a credential that reflects depth of knowledge across the whole discipline rather than a single specialty. The ISA BCMA case studies are 5 cases and about 5,066 words.

The Gas Line Three Metres from a 60 cm Oak

A 60 cm DBH white oak stands in a front lawn about 8 m from a house. A utility contractor has staked a 40 cm deep gas-line trench that will cross the property in a straight line, passing 3 m from the trunk and running 12 m through the lawn.

996 words, about 5 min 2

Twenty-Four Identical Trees in a Park-and-Ride

A municipality is planting 24 trees in a new park-and-ride lot. Each planting island is 1.2 m wide by 3 m long, cut into compacted clay subsoil with no irrigation installed.

984 words, about 5 min 3

Three Trees, One August Afternoon

Mid-August at a retail plaza. (A) A 30-year-old Norway maple in a 1.5 m by 1.5 m opening surrounded by asphalt; brown scorched leaf margins from the mid-canopy outward, worse on the south face, no dead branches, no trunk symptoms.

1,005 words, about 5 min 4

The Oak, the Included Bark, and the Client with a Deadline

A 30 cm DBH, 14 m tall northern red oak stands in a front yard. At 4 m there is a codominant union with included bark; the smaller stem is 20 cm across at the union and leans over the driveway.

1,044 words, about 5 min 5

The Leaning Maple Over the Playground

A silver maple, 55 cm DBH and about 18 m tall, leans roughly 12 degrees toward a playground. The edge of its canopy is 6 m from the swing set, and 30 to 40 children use the playground on weekday afternoons.

1,037 words, about 5 min