DBH – diameter at base height. The diameter of each tree is measured at “breast height”, defined as 1.35m up from the highest point of ground at the tree's base. DBH measurements can be used to estimate the volume, biomass, and carbon storage of trees. Dominant leader -- the single dominant and upward growing leader trunk. Dry rot -- infected wood often found on conifer that has a dry, burnt, cubical appearance. Evapotranspiration – the process by which trees and forests reduce stormwater runoff by capturing and storing rainfall in the canopy and releasing water into the atmosphere. Deciduous tree – a tree that loses its leaves in autumn. Dripline – the imaginary line defined by the branch spread of a tree around its perimeter. If a plumb line were to extend from the furthermost branches in a tree crown to the ground, that would be the dripline. Evergreen – a tree that keeps its leaves in winter. Fertilizer burn – injury to a plant resulting from excess fertilizer salts in the surrounding soil. Forest conservation easement -- a perpetual property right granted to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission that runs with the title of the land. Its terms, conditions, and area (shown on a record plat or recorded by a metes and bounds description), are recorded in the county’s land records. Most commonly, the agreement prohibits removing vegetation or changing the natural character of the land without written permission from Montgomery Planning. Forest conservation easements cover forest retention or planting areas and unforested high priority areas, all of which are identified on a forest conservation plan. To date, the county has protected over 10,500 acres – approximately 3.5 percent of the county – through more than 3,500 forest conservation easements. Forest cover -- land cover consisting of forest, the plants of a forest together with the products of their decay. Forest is an area with a forest floor and complete ecosystem. Gall – abnormal swelling of plant tissues caused by gall wasps, mites, nematodes and various insects, and less commonly by bacteria and fungi. Girdling roots -- roots encircling the trunk of a tree and growing across one another and possibly across the stem or trunk of the tree. Green infrastructure – our natural life-support system, an interconnected network of waterways, wetlands, woodlands, wildlife habitats and other natural areas. Heartwood – tissue located at the center of a tree’s wood trunk that is darker, stronger, and more resistant to decay. Heartwood provides mechanical support for the tree. Heat island -- urbanized areas that experience higher temperatures than outlying areas. Heat islands contribute to higher daytime temperatures, reduced nighttime cooling, and higher air- pollution levels. These, in turn, contribute to heat-related deaths and heat-related illnesses such as general discomfort, respiratory difficulties, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and non-fatal heat stroke. Herbicide -- chemicals used to manipulate or control undesirable vegetation. Interception -- precipitation that does not reach the soil, but is instead intercepted by the leaves, branches of plants and the forest floor. It occurs in the canopy (i.e., canopy interception), and in the forest floor or litter layer (i.e. forest floor interception). Invasive vines – vines that kill mature trees by robbing them of oxygen, sunlight and their ability to capture deadly carbon emissions. Leaf blotch -- dead areas on tree foliage, bigger than leaf spots and irregular in shape. Leaf scorch --browning, dead areas around the margins of leaves or between leaf veins. Bacterial leaf scorch is common on Montgomery County trees such as pin oaks.
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