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SPECIES WHAT SPECIFICALLY CAN BE DONE TO
MAINTAINAND EVEN IMPROVETHE HEALTH OF
OUR CURRENT URBAN TREE POPULATIONS 5RBAN
FORESTERS MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME
RELIEF TO THE EXISTING TREE POPULATIONS BY
USING BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES THAT HELP
ALLEVIATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSES ASSOCI
ATED WITH A CHANGING WEATHER PATTERN 4HIS
CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS TIMELY WATERINGS AND
THE USE OF MULCH TO PROTECT ROOT SYSTEMS
AND THE LOWER STEM AREA OF A TREE !NOTHER
EXAMPLE IS THAT MATURE SPECIMENS MAY NOT
REQUIRE SUPPLEMENTAL FERTILIZER APPLICATIONS
AS THIS MAY hPUSHv THEM TO GROW WHEN
IN FACT THEY SHOULD BE CONCENTRATING THEIR
LIMITED RESOURCES ON PERSISTING THROUGH A
DIFFICULT GROWING SEASON
+NOWING WHAT TREE SPECIES ARE EXPECTED TO
DO WELL IF PREDICTED CLIMATE TRENDS HOLD TREE
SELECTION HERE IN THE .ORTHEAST MAY INDEED
BE REVISED BY URBAN TREE MANAGERS AND
ARBORISTS TO INCLUDE THE PLANTING OF SPECI
MENS THAT ARE CURRENTLY MORE INDIGENOUS TO
POINTS FURTHER SOUTH 3OME OF THESE TREES
MAY INCLUDE SWEET GUM ,IQUIDAMBAR STY
RACIFLUA BALDCYPRESS 4AXODIUM DISTICHUM
AND ANY NUMBER OF THE MORE COMMON
SOUTHERLY OAK TREES LIKE WILLOW OAK 1UERCUS
PHELLOS AND TURKEY OAK 1UERCUS LAEVIS
3OME TREE SPECIES THAT MAY CONTINUE TO DO
WELL UNDER FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE SCENARIOS
LIKE HONEYLOCUST 'LEDITSIA TRIACANTHOS AND
THE NONINDIGENOUS GINKGO 'INKGO BILOBA
ARE TREES THAT HAVE BEEN WIDELY ESTAB
LISHED IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT HERE IN THE
.ORTHEAST FOR QUITE SOME TIME
3IMPLY BECAUSE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
CONDUCIVE TO A GIVEN FOREST TYPE MAY BE
PREDICTED TO EXPAND THAT DOESNT NECES
SARILY MEAN THAT THE TREES CHARACTERISTIC
OF THAT FOREST TYPE WILL ACTUALLY hMOVEv TO
OCCUPY THESE hNEW AREASv -OVEMENT OF
SEED FOR EXAMPLE OF MANY OF OUR NORTHERN
HARDWOOD TYPES IS DEPENDENT ON WIND THE
SEED OF MANY OF OUR MORE SOUTHERLY OAK
HICKORY FOREST TYPES IS VECTORED BY WILDLIFE
(ENCE WILL OTHER IMPORTANT FACTORS LIKE
WILDLIFE POPULATIONS ADAPT TO HELP DISPERSE
SEEDS OF THESE TREES IN A MORE NORTHERLY
DIRECTION 7HAT ABOUT THE INSECT POPULA
TIONS THAT ARE CRITICAL TO POLLINATION OF MANY
OF OUR TREESWHAT WILL THEIR ADAPTATION
STRATEGIES INCLUDE /R PERHAPS THERE WILL
BE UNFORESEEN CHALLENGES THAT ARISE DUE TO
DIFFERENCES IN SOIL TYPES OF THE .ORTHEAST
7ILL OPPORTUNISTIC INVASIVE TREE SPECIES
LIKE !ILANTHUS ALTISSIMA EXPAND MUCH MORE
RAPIDLY EXPLOITING AND COLONIZING THE NEW
ECOLOGICAL hNICHESv THAT BEGIN TO PRESENT
THEMSELVES
—Rick Harper, Extension
Assistant Professor, Department
of Environmental Conservation,
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
3OURCES FOR 2ICK (ARPERS REVIEW
HTTPWWWTREESEARCHFSFEDUSPUBS
HTTPWWWNRSFSFEDUSPUBSJRNLNRS??WOODALL?PDF
HTTPWWWNRSFSFEDUSPUBSJRNLNRS??WOODALL?PDF
HTTPWWWNRSFSFEDUSPUBSGTRGTR?NRSPDF
