Practice Problems: Determining Dollar Values of Trees
1. A 6.5 ft. tall Austrian Pine (Pinus nigra) was heavily damaged by a snow plow and needs to be replaced. The Tree had a strong leader, nicely shaped with strong scaffold branches. It grew as part of a group of three to form a windbreak at the northwest corner of a residential lot. The tree grouping is in a front corner of the yard. Determine the dollar value of this tree for insurance reimbursement.
2. An immature, Sargent Cherry (Prunus sargentii) was heavily damaged by a tree that fell from a neighbor’s yard. At 6” above the flare, it is 4.5” in diameter; at 12” above the flare it is 2” in diameter. The tree was located in a bed off the front corner of the house as part of the foundation planting. Before being damaged, about ¼ of the crown was lost due to ice storm damage the previous winter. The tree had been pruned properly and was showing good new growth and recovery. Determine the dollar value of this tree for insurance reimbursement or neighbor replacement.
3. A large Kwanzan Cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan”) was damaged when a utility crew was pruning street trees. Half of the tree was sheared off. The tree was part of a bed surrounding the entry to a parking lot for a prominent business in town. The business owner wants the largest replacement possible. The DBH of the damaged tree is 12”. The damaged tree was in excellent condition, mature and flowered prolifically. Your client, the business owner, wants you to determine the dollar value of the damaged tree in order to get the utility company to pay for the loss of this tree.
4. A mature Common Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) was a total loss after a neighbor accidentally cut it down while clearing snowmobile trails. The tree was 8” DBH. The tree was located on the edge of a naturalized border area between the two properties. The damaged tree was an average specimen, no major structural problems or previous damage. It had a slight lean due to its position on the woodlands edge. Choose the smallest single trunk replacement available. Determine the dollar value of this tree.