Observational study demonstrates a correlation between visual ratings and wood sound velocity in poplar trees, indicating acoustic testing enhances tree health evaluations.
Fifty-six Populus spp. trees were examined in Belgrade, Serbia, with a focus on assessing vitality and decorativeness using the Visual Tree Assessment (VTA) method and measuring wood sound velocity. The study aimed to explore the connection between visual indicators of tree condition and internal structural properties based on sonic wave velocities. Vitality and decorativeness ratings ranged from 2 to 5 (out of 5), with mean values of 2.80 and 2.93, respectively; wood sound averaged 788,39 m/s. Statistically significant correlations (r = 0.52 for vitality, r = 0.53 for decorativeness) confirmed the possibility of integrating VTA and sonic measurements. Mathematical models were developed that successfully predict tree vitality and decorativeness based on sound velocity. It can be concluded that this combined approach improves tree health assessment accuracy, supports timely interventions, and contributes to sustainable urban greenery management.
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Živanović et al. (2025) studied this question.
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