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
ÌÞÊ/Àiià 4 HE WEATHER TRENDS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IN 0HILADELPHIA HAVE INFLUENCED THE WAY WE MANAGE OUR URBAN FOREST FAR MORE THAN WHAT WE PLANT 4HESE TRENDS HAVE FORCED US TO FOCUS ON PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES AS WELL AS MODIFICATIONS TO OUR PLANTING SPECIFICA TIONS TO ENSURE MAXIMUM CANOPY GROWTH SO THAT OUR URBAN FOREST REMAINS STABLE /UR WEATHER OVER THE PAST DECADE CONFIRMS THE BEST AVAILABLE CLIMATE INFORMATION FOR 0HILADELPHIA WHICH SUGGESTS WARMER AND WETTER CONDITIONS FOR ALL SEASONS (EAT EVENTS AND HOT DAYS ARE PROJECTED TO INCREASE QUITE SUBSTANTIALLY BY THE END OF THE CEN TURY WHILE PRECIPITATION EVENTS DO NOT SHOW A MARKED INCREASE IN INTENSITY OR FREQUENCY EXCEPT IN WINTER -ILDER WINTERS MAY REDUCE COLDRELATED DEATHS OF CITIZENS BUT WARMER SUMMERS MAY INCREASE HEATRELATED DEATHS OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS )NCREASED SUMMER TEMPERATURES MAY ALSO LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN THE FORMATION OF GROUND LEVEL OZONE INCREASING THE INCIDENCE OF RESPIRATORY AIL MENTS 4HEREFORE WE ARE FOCUSING OUR TREE PLANTING EFFORTS FOR BOTH STREET TREES AND OUR YARD TREE PROGRAM ON NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE CITY WITH LOW TREE CANOPY 4HESE OFTEN CORRESPOND TO LOWER INCOME AREAS OF OUR CITY WHERE THERE THE IMPACTS OF TEMPERATURE EXTREMES TAKE THE HIGHEST TOLL 4HE OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE IS TREE DAMAGE DURING STORM EVENTS 0HILADELPHIA EXPERIENCES INTENSE PRECIPITATION DUE TO STRONG THUN DERSTORMS TROPICAL STORMS HURRICANES .OREASTERS AND WINTER SNOWSTORMS 0HILADELPHIA HAS BEEN HIT BY FIVE MAJOR HURRICANES AND STORMS IN THE PAST TEN YEARS )N ADDITION A NUMBER OF MAJOR /iÊiÌÀ>ViÊÌÊÌiÊ°Ê-ÌiÀ}ÊÀÌÊiÃÌ>ÌiÊ`iÃÌÀ>ÌiÃÊÜÊÌÊVÀi>ÌiÊ>Ê>jiÊvÊ`ÛiÀÃiÊÌÀiiðÊ*ÌÊLÞÊÕÞÊ-ÌiÀLiÀ}Ê SNOWSTORMS HAVE OCCURRED RECENTLY WITH FOUR OF THE TEN BIGGEST SNOWSTORMS OF RECORD HITTING 0HILADELPHIA DURING THE PAST DECADE 7ITH AN AGING TREE POPULATION MANY OF OUR STREET TREES WERE PLANTED SOON AFTER 0HILADELPHIA FORMALIZED ITS STREET TREE PROGRAM IN IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE IDENTIFY AND REMOVE AS MANY DEAD AND DYING OLDER TREES AS POSSIBLE TO PREVENT THEM FALLING ON POWER LINES AND BLOCKING STREETS AND HOMES 7E HAVE HAD TO BALANCE FUNDING BETWEEN PLANTING AND REMOVALS IN ORDER TO MANAGE THE MAINTENANCE REQUIRED TO KEEP OUR STREET TREES SAFE 7E HAVE ALSO MADE CHANGES TO OUR PLANTING SPECIFICATIONS TO ENSURE THAT WHEN WE DO PLANT TREES THEY HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF GROWING TO MATURITY 2ECENTLY PLANTED TREES RELY HEAVILY ON ROOT BALL SOIL MOISTURE THROUGHOUT THE FIRST GROWING SEASON AND ADEQUATE WATERING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MAINTENANCE PRACTICE IN ORDER TO ENSURE ESTABLISHMENT OF NEWLY PLANTED TREES 4HREE YEARS AGO WE BEGAN REQUIRING SUMMER WEEKLY WATERING OF ALL TREES DURING THE FIRST YEAR )N ADDITION SOILS IN NEW TREE PITS MUST BE REPLACED WITH A SPECIFIED MANUFACTURED SOIL TO PROMOTE WATER ABSORPTION "ECAUSE OF OUR LOCATION IN THE MID!TLANTIC WE DONT ANTICIPATE SIG NIFICANT SHIFTS IN THE CONDITIONS FOR OUR TREE SPECIES (OWEVER WE ARE BEGINNING SOME EXPERIMENTATION WITH TREES THAT ARE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF OUR ECOREGION TO TEST HOW THEY DO HERE IN THE LONG TERM —Joan S. Blaustein, Director, Urban Forestry and Ecosystem Management Division, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation