Dieback is defined as the death of some areas of the crown. Symptoms are leaf drop, bare twigs, dead branches and tree death, respectively. This can be caused by root damage, root disease, bacterial or fungal canker, severe bark damage, intensive grazing by insects, abrupt changes in growth conditions, drought, water-logging or over-maturity. Dieback often implies reduced resistance, stress or decline which may be temporary.

The image shown is of a tree inspected for a client. Significant dieback was noted throughout the canopy. Foliage loss, twiggy branches and larger wood dieback was observed.

In instances of a healthy tree, selective pruning to remove larger deadwood is undertaken to reduce the risk of limb failure that could damage property or injure people in close proximity to the tree.