Hazard Tree
/HAZ-erd tree/🌲 Arboriculture● Basic
Also known as: danger tree, risk tree
A hazard tree has both a structural defect likely to cause failure and a target (person, property, or activity) within the failure zone. A tree with defects but no target is not a hazard. Assessment considers the tree's species failure characteristics, defect severity, target value and occupancy rate, and environmental conditions. Management options include removal, risk reduction pruning, cabling/bracing, target relocation, or monitoring.
Etymology
From Old French hasard (game of chance) + Old English trēo (tree)
Example
“The dead pine leaning over the playground was classified as a hazard tree requiring immediate removal.”