Alex Shigo
Encyclopedia
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
whose studies of tree decay resulted in many improvements to standard arboricultural
Arboriculture
Arboriculture is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants. It is both a practice and a science....
practices. He travelled and lectured widely to promote understanding of tree biology among arborists and foresters. His large body of primary research serves as a broad foundation for further research in tree biology.
Biography
Shigo was born in Duquesne, PennsylvaniaDuquesne, Pennsylvania
Duquesne is a city along the Monongahela River in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area. The population was 5,565 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. He served as a clarinetist with the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Band in Washington DC for four years during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. After his service, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Waynesburg College in Pennsylvania, then a PhD in Plant Pathology at West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
in 1960.
He joined the U.S. Forest Service as a tree pathologist. He served there as Chief Scientist for 25 years and retired in 1985. Shigo was known for his digressive and philosophical style when writing and speaking, and for his trademarked phrase, “touch trees,” with which he autographed his books.
Research
Early in his career, the first one-man chainsawChainsaw
A chainsaw is a portable mechanical saw, powered by electricity, compressed air, hydraulic power, or most commonly a two-stroke engine...
s became available. These enabled him to prepare longitudinal sections of trees, which allowed him to study the longitudinal spread of decay organisms within them. A major discovery from this work was that trees have ways of walling off decaying tissues, which he named Compartmentalization of Decay in Trees
CODIT
Compartmentalization Of Decay In Trees is a concept created by Dr. Alex Shigo after years of studying tree decay patterns. Though disputed upon its introduction in the late 1970s, the concept is now widely accepted and can be found in many arboriculture textbooks...
. This led to reassessment of arboricultural practices such as pruning techniques and cavity treatments, which showed that many of these actually promoted decay or were ineffective. The ANSI
Ansi
Ansi is a village in Kaarma Parish, Saare County, on the island of Saaremaa, Estonia....
A-300 Pruning Standard reflects his recommendations.
Publications
Shigo produced over 270 publications, including many research papers, books, pamphlets, CDs, and DVDs. In retirement, he and his wife Marilyn published these as Shigo and Trees, Associates LLC. He travelled the world doing presentations, workshops, seminars and demonstrations, sharing his passion for trees. Since his death in 2006, their daughter has taken over the publishing business.Major Works
- A New Tree Biology and Dictionary
- Modern Arboriculture - Touch Trees
- Tree Anatomy