City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/271060
'IVEN YOUR EDUCATION EXPERIENCE FREQUENT CON TACT WITH TREES AND HONED OBSERVATIONAL SKILLS YOU AS MUNICIPAL FORESTERS ARE WELL SUITED FOR TRACKING RECURRING SEASONAL EVENTS SUCH AS LEAFING FLOWERING AND FRUITING 4HE STUDY OF THESE PHENOMENA IS KNOWN AS PHENOLOGY !DDING THIS ACTIVITY TO YOUR WEEKLY ROUTINE HAS A LOT TO OFFER THIS SIMPLE MEASUREMENT CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE THE BEST TIME TO PERFORM MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES SERVE AS AN EARLY WARNING INDICATOR OF TROUBLE BREWING AMONG YOUR TREES OFFER EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND SUPPORT RESEARCH !ND ITS FUN 3CHEDULE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES 4RACKING PHENOLOGICAL EVENTS SUCH AS LEAFOUT AND LEAF DROP CAN BE VERY INFORMATIVE FOR PLANNING &OR EXAMPLE KNOWING WHEN LEAVES ARE FALLING FROM DIFFERENT DOMINANT TREE SPECIES CAN HELP PUBLIC WORKS CREWS SCHEDULE STREET SWEEPING OPERATIONS FOR MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY 4HE 4WIN #ITIES OF -INNEAPOLIS3T 0AUL -INNESOTA ARE USING RESIDENTS OBSERVATIONS OF WHEN DIFFERENT TREE SPECIES ARE DROPPING THEIR LEAVES TO SCHEDULE STREET SWEEPING ACTIVITIES 3UCH WELLTIMED REMOVAL KEEPS LEAVES OUT OF STORM DRAINS WHICH IMPROVES WATER QUALITY IN CITY LAKES AND IMPOUNDMENTS +NOWING WHEN TO EXPECT LEAF DROP FOR EACH OF THE SPE CIES CAN HELP ESTABLISH THE BEGINNING AND END OF LEAF PICKUP SERVICES 7HEN COUPLED WITH TREE INVENTORY DATA ON SPECIES DISTRIBUTION AND TREE SIZE A MANAGER CAN PREDICT THE DATE RANGE OF LEAF FALL AND ESTIMATE EXPECTED LEAF VOLUME !NOTHER MANAGEMENT AREA FOR WHICH PHENOLOGY INFOR MATION IS HELPFUL IS INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL +NOWING WHEN TROUBLESOME INVASIVES ARE GREENAND WHETHER VALUABLE NATIVE SPECIES ARE ALSO GREEN DURING THE SAME WINDOWSCAN INFORM SCHEDULING OF REMOVAL AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL DECISION TO USE BROADSPECTRUM HERBICIDES VS SELECTIVE ONES )DENTIFY PROBLEMS IN THE EARLY STAGES 4RACKING PHENOLOGY ENTAILS MAKING FREQUENT VISITS TO THE SAME INDIVIDUAL PLANTS )DEALLY THESE OBSERVATIONS TAKE PLACE WEEKLY OR MORE FREQUENTLY IN ORDER TO ACCU RATELY PINPOINT THE ONSET OF FLOWERING THE APPEARANCE AND OPENING OF LEAF BUDS OR THE END OF LEAF DROP 3UCH FREQUENT AND CAREFUL OBSERVATIONS OFFER THE BENEFIT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PLANT STATUS AND HEALTH )F YOU CHOOSE TO TRACK THE PHENOLOGY OF JUST ONE REPRESENTA /}ÊÃÊÛiÀÞÌ}\ 0HENOLOGY AS A 4OOL FOR #ITY &ORESTERS CZ5IFSFTB$SJNNJOT64"/BUJPOBM1IFOPMPHZ/FUXPSLUIFSFTB!VTBOQOPSH!5IFSFTB$SJNNJOTBOE CZ%VEMFZ)BSUFM6SCBO'PSFTUSZ4PVUI64%"'PSFTU4FSWJDFEIBSUFM!GTGFEVT!USFFPCT #OAUTHOR $UDLEY (ARTEL FOUND HIS RED MAPLE !CER RUBRUM BLOOMING BEFORE #HRISTMAS IN BOTH AND 0HOTO BY $UDLEY 2 (ARTEL -ANY COMMON URBAN TREE SPECIES ARE IN THE 53! .0. LIST AND SHOULD BE OF INTEREST TO YOUR MAN AGEMENT PROGRAM -AJOR URBAN TREE GENERA INCLUDE !CER "ETULA #ARPINUS #ORNUS 0RUNUS 1UERCUS AND 5LMUS ÌÞÊ/ÀiiÃ