We have an oak tree which is at least 50 years old. It was pruned by a reputable tree professional 2 yrs ago who simply cut all the dead branches out of the tree. It was not a large amount of branches. The tree man also pruned several other trees on the property which are doing fine. In the 2 years since the pruning occurred there are numerous branches that have died at a much higher rate than beforeabd there are more dead branches on the tree in this short 2 yrs than what there was before they pruned the tree.(I do not believe that the pruning has anything to do with the current problem).There is also an issue that a certain individual outside of our household that has been dumping paint thinner and paint remover in the ground under the tree but on an adjacent property. The dumping is occurring about 5ft from the base of the tree. Could this be the cause of the dead branches and if so is there a place where the branches can be sent to to have the wood analyzied to see if there are traces of these chemicals present?

Reply to post by Tom Arteritano, on July 02, 2000 at 19:09:16:

This sounds like a case for a local arborist to check out. Any comments or suggestions online would be mostly just informed
guesswork. There can be many causes for the decline you are seeing, and it may or may not be related to the paint thinner. A
qualified arborist can look for symptoms that will lead to a theory on the causes.

The American Society of Consulting Arborists can recommend highly qualified arborists and consultants in your area. Their web
site and database is at

http://www.asca-consultants.org

or contact the main office at

American Society of Consulting Arborists
15245 Shady Grove Road
Suite 130
Rockville, MD 20850
(301) 947-0483

The International Society of Arboriculture maintains a current list of ISA Certified Arborists. The searchable list can be accessed
at the ISA Web site, at:
http://www.isa-arbor.com

Be sure to check the qualifications of any arborist you talk to, to be sure he/she has the right training and experience to
investigate this type of problem.