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: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/417159
ÜÜÜ°ÕÀL>vÀiÃÌÀÞ°V 3 TRETCHING MORE THAN MILES KM SOUTH FROM SOUTHCENTRAL &LORIDA TO THE COASTAL !MAZON RAINFOREST IN "RAZIL THE TROPICAL MANGROVE SWAMP IS ONE OF THE LARGEST CONTINUOUS ECO SYSTEMS IN THE 7ESTERN (EMISPHERE (ISTORICALLY THE NORTHERNMOST MANGROVES ON THE !TLANTIC COAST OF &LORIDA WERE JUST NORTH OF THE )NDIAN 2IVER LAGOON AROUND +ENNEDY 3PACE #ENTER APPROXIMATELY MILES KM SOUTH OF THE 'EORGIA BORDER WITH A FEW SMALL SINGLE PIONEERS REACHING INTO NORTH &LORIDA "UT ACCORDING TO RECENT DATA PRESENTED BY THE '4-.%22 'UANA 4OLOMATO -ATANZAS.ATIONAL %STUARINE 2ESEARCH 2ESERVE A DIVI SION OF ./!! AND THE $EPARTMENT OF %NVIRONMENTAL 0ROTECTION THE NORTHERNMOST BLACK MANGROVE !VICENNIA GERMINANS IS NOW LOCATED IN NORTHERN 3T !UGUSTINE APPROXIMATELY MILES KM SOUTH OF THE 'EORGIA BORDER ON THE !TLANTIC #OAST !CCORDING TO A STUDY FROM THE 3MITHSONIAN %NVIRONMENTAL 2ESEARCH #ENTER USING DATA GATHERED OVER THE LAST YEARS h THE AREA OF MANGROVE FORESTS HAS DOUBLED AT THE NORTHERN END OF THEIR HISTORIC RANGE ON THE EAST COAST OF &LORIDAv 3MITHSONIAN 6OL .O 4HIS EXPANSION APPEARS RELATED TO A LACK OF CONSISTENT EXTREME RELATIVELY SPEAKING PERIODS OF COLD 5NTIL YEARS AGO MANGROVES WERE HANDLED LARGELY BY ARBORISTS AND DEVELOPERS IN SOUTH &LORIDA -OST ARBORISTS AND LANDSCAPERS IN NORTH &LORIDA RARELY ENCOUNTERED MANGROVES BUT AS CURRENT ENVI RONMENTAL TRENDS CONTINUE ARBORISTS IN ONCE FREEZEPRONE AREAS OF NORTHERN &LORIDA ARE BECOMING BETTER VERSED IN MANAGING THE PERSISTENT TROPICAL MANGROVES "LACK MANGROVES FEET TO M IN HEIGHT ARE NOW NOT UNCOMMON IN NORTH &LORIDA "UT THANKS TO THE -ANGROVE 4RIMMING AND 0RESERVATION !CT OF FEW BROADLEAF TREES IN THE 5NITED 3TATES ARE AS PROTECTED AS MANGROVES ARE IN &LORIDA !CCORDING TO A PANEL OF ATTORNEYS AT A RECENT STATE SEMINAR ON MANGROVE MANAGEMENT IN 7EST 0ALM "EACH NOT EVEN SEQUOIAS ON THE 7EST #OAST ARE AS HEAVILY PROTECTED )MPROPER PRUNING REMOVAL OR DAMAGE OF MANGROVES CARRIES A MINIMUM FINE OF PER TREE A FEE THAT MAKES EVEN WEALTHY DEVELOPERS THINK TWICE BEFORE CLEARING WATERFRONT PARCELS FOR THEIR EVEN WEALTHIER CLIENTS 4HIS MEANS MORE HOMEOWNERS ARE HIRING QUALIFIED ARBORISTS TO TRIM THEIR MANGROVES TO MAINTAIN THEIR WATERFRONT VIEWS !S WITH OTHER TREES PROPER PRUNING IS CRITICAL FOR MANGROVES TO MAINTAIN PROPER STRUCTURE AND GOOD HEALTH 4HE MOST NUMEROUS SPECIES OF MANGROVE IN &LORIDA IS THE RED MANGROVE 2HIZOPHORA MANGLE BUT THE MOST ABUNDANT MANGROVE IN NORTH &LORIDA IS THE BLACK MANGROVE DUE TO ITS GREATER COLDTOLERANCE THRESHOLD !LL THREE MANGROVE SPECIES INCLUDING THE VERY COLD SENSI TIVE WHITE MANGROVE ,AGUNCULARIA RACEMOSA CAN NOW BE FOUND IN 3T *OHNS #OUNTY APPROXIMATELY MILES KM SOUTH OF THE 'EORGIA BORDER ON THE !TLANTIC #OAST $OMINATED BY SMOOTH CORD GRASS 3PARTINA ALTERNIFLORA COLD TOLER ANT SALT MARSH IS SLOWLY BEING OUTCOMPETED FOR SUNLIGHT BY THE INCREASINGLY TALLER AND MORE DENSE MANGROVE SWAMP !S THE NORTH ERN MOVEMENT OF MANGROVES CONTINUES THIS WILL HAVE LARGE IMPLICA TIONS FOR &LORIDAS ECOLOGY AND ECONOMY "ECAUSE A LARGE NUMBER OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS INCLUDING MANY SPECIES OF FISH ARE ASSOCIATED WITH EITHER ONLY MANGROVE SWAMPS OR SALT MARSHES A DISTINCT CHANGE IN BOTH COASTAL FLORA AND FAUNA IS CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE -ANGROVES SEQUESTER MORE CARBON DIOXIDE THAN MARSH GRASSES BUT MARSHES PRODUCE MUCH LARGER AMOUNTS OF DETRITUS THE ORGANIC FUEL FOR FISHERIES %STUARIES ARE THE NURSERIES FOR THE OCEANS AND FISHER IES ARE &LORIDAS SECOND LARGEST ECONOMY AFTER TOURISM "OTH COM MERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL FISHING COMBINED GENERATE APPROXIMATELY BILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY IN REVENUE FOR THE STATEMORE THAN THE CITRUS INDUSTRY -ONEY TALKS AND PRIVATE HOMEOWNERS AS WELL AS PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE NORTHWARD EXPANSION OF THE TROPICAL MANGROVES —Daniel Lippi, Consulting Arborist, ISA Certified Arborist, Advanced Tree Care, Inc., St. Augustine, Florida 4 HERE IS WIDESPREAD AGREEMENT THAT OUR CHANGING CLIMATE WILL AFFECT THE HABITAT TO WHICH OUR TREES HAVE BECOME ADAPTED HERE IN THE .ORTHEAST #HANGES REGARDING FACTORS LIKE EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS TEMPERATURE ATMOSPHERIC #/ CONCENTRA TIONS AND PRECIPITATION LEVELS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO DRASTICALLY ALTER ECOSYSTEMS AND THE WAY THEIR ASSOCIATED POPULATION COMMUNITIES RESPOND #AN WE KNOW WHICH TREE SPECIES WILL THRIVE AND EXPAND THEIR RANGE UNDER THESE CONDITIONS AND WHICH TREE SPECIES WILL ULTIMATELY DECLINE 7E KNOW THAT THE SPECIES COMPOSITION OF OUR URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTS ARE OFTEN STRONGLY CORRELATED WITH THE SPECIES TYPES OF THE SURROUNDING NATIVE FORESTLAND AREAS )N FACT THE VAST MAJORITY OVER OF THE NATIVE TREES IN OUR URBAN FORESTS ARE WITHIN THE LATI TUDINAL RANGE OF THEIR FORESTED RANGE 4HUS WE CAN EXAMINE WHAT RESEARCHERS PREDICT WILL BE THE OUTCOME OF OUR CHANGING CLIMATE ON TRADITIONAL FORESTED LANDS TO GET SOME SENSE AS TO HOW THIS MAY IMPACT THE COMMUNITY FORESTS THAT WE HAVE HELPED TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT &IRST LETS LOOK AT THE CLIMATE AND WHAT WE HAVE RECORDED SINCE WE HAVE BEEN KEEPING FORMAL RECORDS SINCE THE LATE S 3INCE THAT TIME WE IN THE .ORTHEAST HAVE NOTED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURE DEG & AND PRECIPITATION LEVELS INCHES CM WITH PROGRESSIVELY LESS SNOW COVER AND A LONGER GROWING SEASON THAT HAS FEATURED MORE LARGESCALE PRECIPITATION EVENTS AN INCREASE -ANY OF THESE NOTABLE DIFFERENCES IN WEATHER TRENDS OVER THE LAST YEARS ARE PREDICTED TO CONTINUE INTO THE FUTURE 4HUS THE GROWING SEASON IS EXPECTED TO GET LONGER AND WARMER AND EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS ARE PREDICTED TO INCREASE TO INCLUDE PROLONGED PERIODS OF DROUGHT AND ISOLATED EVENTS OF INCREASED PRECIPITATION INTENSITY !LSO WINTER SNOW COVER PERIOD IS PREDICTED TO CONTINUE TO SHORTEN THROUGH THE END OF THE CENTURY TO THE POINT WHERE IT MAY ONLY BE ABOUT THE LENGTH THAT IT IS TODAY 2ESEARCHERS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO NOTICE CHANGES IN PLANT COM MUNITIES BELIEVED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH ALTERED WEATHER PATTERNS 2ECENT STUDIES IN THE MORE NORTHERLY FORESTED ECOSYSTEMS OF #ANADA !LASKA AND 3IBERIA HAVE ALREADY POINTED TO A MORE NORTH ERN AND UPSLOPE MIGRATION OF CERTAIN TREE SPECIES (ERE IN THE NORTHEAST 53 THESE SAME TRENDS HAVE BEEN NOTED EVEN ON A RELATIVELY LOCAL SCALE AS NORTHERN HARDWOOD FORESTTYPE PLANTS HAVE REPLACED THEIR BOREAL COUNTERPARTS AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS IN MORE MOUNTAINOUS SETTINGS &OR SPECIES THAT DOMINATE THE MORE SOUTHERN FOREST TYPES LIKE THE OAKHICKORY HARDWOOD AND OAKPINE MIXED FORESTS HABITAT SUITABILITY IS PREDICTED TO INCREASE HERE IN THE .ORTHEAST AS MANY EXPERTS EXPECT A GENERAL LONGTERM NORTHWARD hSHIFTINGv OF HABI TAT 4HIS MAY OCCUR HOWEVER LARGELY AT THE EXPENSE OF THE HABITAT MORE SUITED TO THE NORTHERN HARDWOOD MAPLEBEECHBIRCH AND NORTHERN MIXED ASPENBIRCH WHITEREDJACK PINE FOREST TYPES .OT A SURPRISE MANY OF THE OAKS 1UERCUS SPP AND PINES 0INUS SPP FOUND IN THESE MORE SOUTHERLY FOREST TYPES ARE PREDICTED TO POTEN TIALLY THRIVE AND EXPAND UNDER THESE SUITABLE CONDITIONS 3OME OF OUR MOST CHERISHED TREES SPECIES THAT ARE CHARACTERISTIC OF OUR .ORTHEAST FORESTS LIKE SUGAR MAPLE !CER SACCHARUM BEECH &AGUS AMERICANA AND YELLOW BIRCH "ETULA LUTEA HOWEVER ARE PREDICTED TO LOSE CONSIDERABLE AMOUNTS OF SUITABLE HABITAT 4HE SAME HOLDS TRUE FOR OTHER ASSOCIATED SPECIES THAT WE MAY EVEN FIND PLANTED IN URBAN SETTINGS LIKE WHITE BIRCH "ETULA PAPYRIFERA BLACK MAPLE !CER NIGRUM ARBORVITAEEASTERN WHITECEDAR 4HUJA OCCIDENTALIS AND WHITE SPRUCE 0ICEA GLAUCA )F LONGER MORE INTENSE GROWING SEASONS AND SHORTER WARMER WINTERS ARE MAKING IT LESS SUITABLE FOR SOME OF OUR NORTHERN TREE