Maple Tree Dieback (on one half)

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Posteriorpit

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Joined
Apr 12, 2018
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Location
Ontario, Canada
Hello,
Over the past 2-3 years I have noticed that one side of my maple is progressively dying. On the unhealthy side, the bark is sloughing off to reveal rotten and/or dried out interiors. Limbs are becoming brittle and fracturing and the remaining intact limbs are producing far fewer leaves; the leaves they are producing, however, looked fairly normal throughout the summer.
I am situated in a suburban crescent in Ontario, Canada (zone 5a), and several of my neighbors appear to be having the same symptoms with their 'visually similar' maples (I'm unsure of whether they're the same species, but obviously dissimilar maples, even those on other parts of my property, are healthy). The recent weather has not been harsher, and there have not been any natural disasters in my area. I've left the tree alone for the past 5 years- the only deliberate treatment it has received is the removal of some dead branches last October. There was some brief construction along the roadside last summer and undoubtedly didn't help matters- but the problem existed before that time.
I love this tree, and I would greatly appreciate any advice you can offer on the advice on the likely causes of this pattern of damage and how it might be remedied. Thank you.
These photos were taken several months ago. I will post some new ones this week- the bare branches should make things easier to observe.
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Girdling root problem. Trunk goes straight into the ground, no root flare. If caught early enough the offending roots can be removed and with fertilization the tree can be saved. Unfortunately, with the amount of dieback in the canopy of yours, it is probably girdled severely and ultimately cannot be saved. Will take many years to die completely though.
 
Thank you for the reply. If this is the main issue do you expect I would be able to see the problematic roots by digging less than a foot down on the left side (the dying side)?
 
Yes, excavate the area that has no flare at the base. Trees naturally flare out at the base of the tree unless constricted in some way (roots in this case I suspect), or the lower part of the trunk being buried by grade changes.
 
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