Root to Crown Arborcare LLC provides root detection services to arborist consultants, utility companies, municipalities, and researchers to assist in the detect of tree root systems in the urban landscape.

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a well-established, non-destructive technology that has been used for decades to investigate subsurface conditions in engineering, environmental, and utility applications. The system operates by transmitting electromagnetic waves into the ground and recording the signals that are reflected when they encounter materials with differing electromagnetic properties. Variations in these reflected signals allow buried features to be detected and interpreted without excavation.

More recently, GPR has been adapted for arboricultural applications, providing a non-invasive method for evaluating tree root systems. Differences in the electromagnetic properties of woody tissues and surrounding soils create detectable contrasts that can be analyzed to identify structural roots, their densities and distribution.

Use of GPR instrumentation for internal trunk decay detection and subsurface structural root mapping is a novel and recent application to the arboricultural field that has been developed and patented by TreeRadar, Inc. under the name TRU (Tree Radar Unit).

Ground-penetrating radar offers several advantages for tree assessment. The technology allows root systems to be investigated efficiently under field conditions while avoiding damage to trees or surrounding landscapes. Because the process is non-invasive, repeated surveys can be performed to monitor changes over time and support long-term management strategies. GPR can also be used beneath paved surfaces and other developed areas where conventional root investigations may be impractical. When combined with arboricultural expertise and site-specific information, GPR provides valuable data to support tree preservation, construction planning, risk assessment, and informed land management decisions.