Selection of Tree History Management System Items for Analyzing the Causes of Landscape Tree Defects in an Apartment Complex

Background and objective: It is difficult to conclusively determine the exact cause of tree defects since multiple causes are involved such as climate change, plantation, tree quality and planting time, construction, planting base, drainage, sunshine conditions, maintenance, and microclimate. The data related to landscaping construction defects are scattered or fragmented by companies and years, but not managed systematically by the defect information management system. Most of the earlier studies associated with tree defects in apartment complexes suggested defect rates after examining tree defects in the completed construction site and proposed fragmentary and subjective conclusions about the causes of defects observed in trees with high defect rates. It is proposed to continue to conduct studies on the establishment and analysis of systematic databases to identify the exact causes of tree defects and measures to improve, and the need to accumulate systematic data in the construction process where many defects arises. This study was conducted to reduce the defects of trees planted in apartment complexes. Methods: Main factors related to tree defects were subdivided based on the results of literature review and a defect investigation at the completion site, and tree history management items were selected and subdivided during the construction stage. Results: The criteria for the preparation of subdivided items were obtained, and the tree history management checklist was written for the site under actual construction and a systematic database was established. Items that are categorized based to the causes of defects include the location of nurseries, date, tree quality, site conditions, planting techniques, microclimates, and maintenance. Conclusion: This study suggested tree history management items based on the tree defects that can be identified at the construction stage and applied them to the selected study site, which differentiates this study from earlier studies. It will be necessary to conduct a comprehensive and objective time series analysis on tree defects that occur over time by continuously monitoring and collecting data after construction.