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/417159
ÌÞÊ/Àiià ÀÕ}Ì`iV>Ìi`Ê>ÀLÀÛÌ>iÃÊ/Õ>ÊVV`iÌ>îÊUÊ*ÌÊLÞÊ ÕÞÊ-ÌiÀLiÀ} - Y PERCEPTIONS OF REGIONAL FIVE TO TENYEAR WEATHER TRENDS ARE BASED ON OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIENCES IN THE NORTHERN PLAINS OF -ONTANA ) LIVE IN "ILLINGS ;,AT . ,ON 7= WHICH IS LOCATED BETWEEN FOOT M SANDSTONE CLIFFS KNOWN AS THE h2IMROCKSv AND THE BANKS OF THE UPPER 9ELLOWSTONE 2IVER IN SOUTHCENTRAL -ONTANA &OR THE PURPOSES OF THIS DISCUSSION MY DEFINITION OF hREGIONALv IS 9ELLOWSTONE #OUNTY OF WHICH "ILLINGS IS THE #OUNTY SEAT 9ELLOWSTONE #OUNTY COVERS SQUARE MILES SQUARE KM MAKING IT LARGER THAN THE STATE OF $ELAWARE AND FEATURES ELEVATION RANGES OF FEET M IN THE 0RYOR -OUNTAIN FOOTHILLS TO FEET M NEAR THE CONFLUENCE OF THE "IGHORN AND 9ELLOWSTONE RIVERS ! RECENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER STORY APTLY DESCRIBED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO RESPECTIVE LOCALES h)TS A COUN TRY BRUTALLY COLD IN MIDWINTER AND SCALDING HOT IN LATE SUMMER WITH A LONG WAY BETWEEN THE SHADE OF ANY TREES OR THE TRICKLE OF RUNNING WATER (ERE MAMMOTH COTTONWOOD TREES GROW FAT ON A STEADY DIET OF RIVER WATER PROVIDING SHADE TO THICK UNDERGROWTH WHITETAIL DEER AND MAMMOTH BEAVERSv "ILLINGS 'AZETTE )N ADDITION TO THE MAMMOTH BEAVERS hHUMAN ANIMALSv OF MY REGION LIVE IN A 53$! 0(:- UPDATED B :ONE THAT HAS OVER THE PAST YEARS PRODUCED AN URBAN CANOPY DOMINATED BY GREEN ASH &RAXINUS PENNSYLVANICA TREES GROWING IN ALLUVIAL SOILS THAT ARE SLIGHTLY ALKALINE P( BUT RELATIVELY RICH IN ORGANIC MATTER ! GLANCE AT THE CLIMATE SUMMARY OVER THE PAST YEARS SHOWS THAT THE ANNUAL AVERAGE PRECIPITATION TOTALS INCHES CM AND THE AVERAGE ANNUAL SNOWFALL TOTALS INCH ES CM -AY AND *UNE ARE THE WETTEST MONTHS INCHES CM TOTAL WITH $ECEMBER AND *ANUARY BEING THE SNOWIEST AND COLD EST MONTHS AVERAGE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE &# 7ITH THIS BACKGROUND IN MIND WHAT ARE THE WEATHER AND CLIMATE TRENDS ) SEE !ND HOW HAS THIS AFFECTED MY TREE SPECIES SELECTION AND URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT /VER THE LAST TEN YEARS MY SEMI ARID REGION HAS ENDURED ADVERSE ECONOMIC SOCIAL AND ENVIRON MENTAL EFFECTS FROM METEOROLOGICAL AGRICULTURAL AND HYDROLOGICAL DROUGHT .OTWITHSTANDING THAT THE WINTER OF PRODUCED A RECORD SNOWFALL OF INCHES CM THAT EASED HYDROLOGICAL DROUGHT RESERVOIRS LAKES AND RIVER STREAMFLOW LEVELS HAVE BEEN ADEQUATELY REPLENISHED THE LIONS SHARE OF THAT MOISTURE RAN OFF OR EVAPORATED BEFORE IT SANK INTO THE ROOTS OF THIRSTY URBAN AND COMMUNITY TREES 'ENERALLY SPEAKING WE DONT EXPERIENCE AS OFTEN THE WINTER DEEP FREEZE TEMPERATURES &# THAT LAST FOR SEVERAL DAYS YET THE MIDTOLATE SUMMER TEMPERATURES HAVE CONTINUED TO BE HOT AND DRY # AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY 7E DEFINITELY HAVE 7 EATHER IS LOCAL CLIMATE IS GLOBAL 7EATHER CANT BE RELI ABLY MEASURED AND PREDICTED BEYOND DAYS OR HOURS WHILE CLIMATE CAN BE MEASURED AND PREDICTED TO SOME EXTENT THROUGH CENTURIES OR MILLENNIA %ITHER WAY THOSE PREDICTIONS DEPEND UPON A LOT OF MODELS AND PROXY DATA TO FILL IN THE BLANKS $ID ANYONE REALLY BELIEVE THE NEW ZONE MAP THAT CAME OUT A FEW YEARS AGO SHOWING THE NORTHWARD SHIFTING OF HARDINESS ZONES )F YOU DID YOU PAID FOR IT DURING THE 0OLAR 6ORTEX COLLAPSE OF 7HAT WE HAVE HERE IS NOT A STEADY TREND TOWARD THE BLAND BENIGN ITS THE GATEWAY TO HORTICULTURAL HELL 0LANTING TREES SELECTING TREES DESIGNING WITH AND CARING FOR TREES ALL MUST BE DONE IN A WAY THAT FACTORS IN THE UNEXPECTED -Y OWN APPROACH IS FIRST AND FOREMOST TO AVOID FORMAL GEOMETRIC DESIGNS AND MONOTYPIC PLANTINGS $IVERSITY IS KING 4HIS MIGHT SEEM OBVIOUS TO URBAN FORESTERS BUT SO MANY PEOPLE WHO CALL THEMSELVES DESIGNERS STILL FOLLOW THE APPROACH OF !NDR£ ,E .¯TRE IN TRYING TO ASSERT DOMINANCE OVER NATURE +ING ,OUIS 8)6 COULD GET AWAY WITH THAT AT 6ERSAILLES BECAUSE HE COULD AFFORD TO HAVE MAS SIVE CREWS OF SERVANTS REPLACE FULLSIZED DEAD TREES WITH FULLSIZED LIVE TREES "UT IT WASNT A GOOD IDEA FOR THE AVERAGE *OE BACK THEN AND IT STILL ISNT NOW !LL£ES IN PARTICULAR CAN BE MADE WITH INFORMAL DIVERSE AND SEEM INGLY RANDOM TREES INSTEAD OF MEASURED ROWS OF IDENTICAL TREES )TS NOT THE TREES THAT MATTER AS MUCH AS IT IS THE VISUAL VOIDS BETWEEN THE TREES ,OOK AT THE .EBRASKA HOME OF * 3TERLING -ORTON THE FOUNDER OF !RBOR $AY 4HE APPROACH IS A MAGNIFICENT ALL£E OF MAJES TIC TREES THAT FRAME THE VIEW OF THE MANSION WITH A VARIETY OF COLORS AND TEXTURES .O TWO OF THEM ARE ALIKE OR IN A STRAIGHT LINE AND AS SOME OF THEM INEVITABLY SLIP AWAY THE VISUAL EFFECT IS NOT LOST 3IZE MATTERS AND THE SMALLER THE BETTER 4RY TO USE SMALL TREES THAT CAN GROW INTO AND ADAPT TO YOUR SITE RATHER THAN LARGE SPECI MENS THAT CAN NEVER BE HAPPY THERE OR WILL DIE TRYING 5SE THE MODERN TECHNIQUES OF TREE TUBES STRUCTURAL SOILS AND ROOT TRAINING TO GIVE YOUR TREES A HEAD START #ONSIDER P( DRAINAGE MYCORRHI ZAE AND GENERAL SOIL BIOLOGY WITH JUST AS MUCH SINCERITY AS YOUR ENGINEER CONSIDERS COMPACTION 0RUNE PROPERLY BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW GROUND )NVASIVENESS IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT 4HE DAYS ARE GONE WHEN WE COULD PLANT SPECIES SUCH AS #ALLERY PEAR WITH IMPUNITY !CTUALLY THOSE DAYS WERE NEVER HERE BUT ITS TIME WE GAVE MORE ATTENTION TO THE REASONS WHY @"RADFORD PEAR AND ITS #ALLERY COHORTS ARE BECOMING SOME OF THE MOST NOTORIOUS THUGS IN EASTERN .ORTH !MERICA DISPLACING MANY NATIVE SPECIES AND THE HOST OF LIFE ATTENDANT TO THEM !NY NURSERY THAT STILL SELLS THESE WEEDS TO THE GULLIBLE PUBLIC CROSSES THE LINE INTO THE $ARK 3IDE OF IRRESPONSIBIL ITY AND ANY LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT WHO STILL SPECIFIES THEM SHOULD RESTRICT HISHER PRACTICE TO IRRIGATION OR GOLF &IND A GOOD MIX OF TREES THAT GIVE YOU DIVERSITY IN WILDLIFE HABITAT COLOR SEASONALITY AND SURVIVABILITY UNDER STRESSFUL CONDITIONS 5SE THE RULE (AVE NO MORE THAT OF YOUR TREES FROM ANY ONE SPECIES FROM ANY ONE GENUS AND FROM ANY ONE FAMILY 3OME OF THEM WONT MAKE IT IN THE LONG TERM AS OUR CLIMATE CONTINUES TO RUN WILD BUT BY THE LUCK OF THE DRAW AND WITH SOME COMMON SENSE MANY OF THEM WILL %MPHASIZE SPECIES THAT HAVE SHOWN RESILIENCE IN NATURE UNDER A VARIETY OF CONDITIONS ANDOR UNDER YOUR OWN SPECIFIC EXTREME CONDITIONS -ANY OAKS ARE TOUGH UNDER A VARIETY OF CIRCUMSTANCES BEECH MAYBE NOT SO MUCH —Guy Sternberg, Landscape Architect, Certified Arborist, and Founder and Manager, Starhill Forest Arboretum of Illinois College