Pruning Urban Trees without Skill: An act of unintentional vandalism

Abstract

Tree pruning provides various benefit but also a source of multiple types of tree damage due to unskilled pruning practices. Cohen's vandalism typology state that persons who have similar characteristics to those present in poorly skilled work (i.e., unintentional act; maintenance equipment damaging a tree structure) perform "vandalism". This study aims to explore the relationship between unintentional vandalism and unskilled pruning practices in tree maintenance by analysing qualitative and quantitative data from the tree workers contracted by selected Malaysian local authorities and tree care experts. Results showed that insufficient tree pruning knowledge leads to unintentional vandalism in tree pruning practices.