Sounds like woody root problems causing the dieback..

http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT20...ing/index.html

Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.


"Shane" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello, I have a tree in my front yard that seems to be growing just
fine except on the very top. It looks like it's completely dead while
the rest of the tree is green. If I was to saw the top of the tree
down would that cause problems/damage the tree? Is there a special way
to saw the dead part without causing damage? Any information would be
greatly appreciated, Thanks.

Shane