ISA Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA) — Practice Exam
Abiotic disorders: practice questions
Our ISA Board Certified Master Arborist bank has 19 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.
Question 1
A tree's trunk is flat on one side at the ground. What does the Tree Owner's Manual suggest checking for?
- Lightning damage high in the crown
- An encircling root
- Too much fertilizer
- Aphids
Show the answer
B. An encircling root — Excavate to check; prevention starts with correct planting depth.
Question 2
Per the USDA Forest Service, why do trees in tree lawns suffer more from construction root loss?
- Their roots are already restricted and unbalanced in limited space
- They have deeper roots than forest trees
- They are always younger
- Their roots are deeper than forest trees' roots, so cuts near the surface sever the main roots
Show the answer
A. Their roots are already restricted and unbalanced in limited space — Tree lawns also bring salt, poor soil and drier conditions.
Question 3
What can construction equipment do to the root collar, per ISA?
- Nothing, because the root collar is underground
- Wound it, and soil or debris piled over the lower trunk also harms it
- Strengthen it
- Nothing harmful, because the root collar is below grade and protected by the soil over it
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B. Wound it, and soil or debris piled over the lower trunk also harms it — The base of the tree is especially vulnerable.
Question 4
Which symptoms can de-icing salt cause in trees, per the USDA Forest Service?
- Extra-large leaves and early flowering
- Extra-large, dark-green leaves and early flowering from the extra sodium in the soil
- Fruit drop only
- Leaf scorch and symptoms from excess sodium and chloride
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D. Leaf scorch and symptoms from excess sodium and chloride — Salt reduces water uptake and translocation.
Question 5
Which uniform damage pattern suggests an abiotic cause, per ISA?
- Damage on one branch of one tree only
- Uniform damage over a large area, across species
- Damage that spreads slowly from tree to tree over years
- Damage only on one species
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B. Uniform damage over a large area, across species — Living pathogens usually take a long time to spread.