VTA? Human after all

This article critically examines the Visual Tree Assessment (VTA) method and its limitations in current arboricultural practice. The authors argue that VTA, while necessary in its time, is now outdated not because of its shortcomings but because it does not precisely define the method for obtaining a result, leading to significant variability between evaluators and an over-reliance on intuition. Drawing on parallels with NASA decision-making protocols and the medical field, the article demonstrates that structured multiparameter scoring methods are necessary to move beyond intuitive approaches. The article presents Virginia Apgar's scoring system as a historical model for how a simple structured evaluation tool transformed a complex clinical judgment into a reproducible and transmissible procedure. It concludes that arboriculture must collectively develop equivalent clinical predictive scores for structural assessment. Published in ARB Magazine, Issue 209, Spring 2025, The Arboricultural Association. Mots-clés : VTA, Visual Tree Assessment, clinical arboriculture, tree risk assessment, likelihood of failure, scoring system, structural assessment, diagnostic bias, Apgar score