I have found that it's often possible to tell if a young tree is alive by the sound that it makes when I run my finger nail over the bark. When it's dead it will make a sound that is a hollow sound. I have been trying this method out on some of my fig cuttings but the effect does not seem to be as clear-cut. Maybe it's because the cuttings are more moist even if they have died than say an outdoor tree in it's first leaf.