Most other activities mentioned cause compaction and subsequent root death. Roots need to get oxygen directly from soil pores to survive. Those handy vessels which carry water, sugars, nutrients and the like cannot transport oxygen. Sometimes this kind of damage will kill a tree outright within a few years, but more commonly there will be a prolonged decline, with secondary, opportunistic agents often getting the blame. Well, you get a stressed- out, cranky tree, which will be a sitting duck for opportunistic Bad Things down the road.
Trees are incredibly complex, and have many ways of fending off disease, insects, and decay.
For those defense systems to work properly, a tree needs to be happy, with all parts in good working order. A tree with damaged roots will not be able to manufacture and transport sufficient decay resistant chemicals to a wound site, for example. It will therefore be subject to more extensive decay than a happy tree. This also relates to insects, discussed below. Many times, the problem is not the problem, if you know what I mean.