Emerging Topics on Urban Forest Health and Management in the Southeast U.S.

Presentation given on February 14, 2022 at the 30th annual conference of the Virginia Association of Forest Health Professionals: https://www.vafhp.org/conference

Transcript

1. Emerging Topics on Urban Forest Health and Management in the Southeast U.S. VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 P. Eric Wiseman, PhD Associate Professor of Urban and Community Forestry Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation Virginia Tech vtuf@vt.edu linktr.ee/EricWiseman @vtarborist Source: blog.taylorguitars.com/seeing-the-urban-forest-for-the-trees
2. Presentation Outline 02  30 o Urban forests and why they matter o Invasive pests and plants o Climate change and extreme weather o Land development and urban futures VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022
3. Urban Forests and Why They Matter VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: www.oufc.org/2021/06/05/announcing-2020-tree-cities-of-the-world Trees and associated natural resources found in and around an area of dense human development Source: www.whiterockcity.ca/484/Urban-Forest-Management-Plan 03  30
4. Urban Forests and Why They Matter VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 • Overall, there are an estimated 5.5 billion trees in US urban areas, which equates to 22.2 trees per capita. • In US cities, about 1 in 3 trees have been planted. • Planting accounts for the majority of trees in residential (75%) and commercial (61%) areas. • Natural regeneration on vacant lands is a major contributor to tree cover in the forest ecoregion. Source: Nowak, D. J., & Greenfield, E. J. (2018). US urban forest statistics, values, and projections. Journal of Forestry, 116(2), 164-177. 04  30
5. Urban Forests and Why They Matter VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: www.thoughtco.com/where-us-forests-are-located-1343035 Source: Nowak, D.J., et al. (2010). US Forest Service GTR NRS-62. Forest Cover Urban Tree Canopy Cover 05  30
6. Urban Forests and Why They Matter VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Data Source: Nowak, D. J., & Greenfield, E. J. (2018). Declining urban and community tree cover in the United States. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 32, 32-55. Chart Source: www.deeproot.com/blog/blog- entries/the-latest-urban-tree-canopy-cover-by-state National UTC Average (2014): 39.4% 06  30
7. Urban Forests and Why They Matter VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: Nowak, D. J., & Greenfield, E. J. (2012). Tree and impervious cover in the United States. Landscape and Urban Planning, 107(1), 21-30. Although tree cover accounts for 66% of VA’s land cover, urban tree cover only accounts for 6% of total tree cover. VA urban tree cover circa 2014 averaged 45.2%. This equates to about 772 thousand acres of urban tree cover and 166 million urban trees. Source: coopercenterdemographics.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/current.jpg 07  30
8. Urban Forests and Why They Matter VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Community cohesion Source: ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2019/03/knowing- growing-and-protecting-a-flourishing-urban-forest-for-auckland/ 08  30
9. Urban Forests and Why They Matter VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: Nowak, D.J., et al. (2010). US Forest Service GTR NRS-62. Source: cities4forests.com/lg-urban-forests 09  30
10. Invasive Pests and Plants VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: Aukema, J. E. et al. (2010). Historical accumulation of nonindigenous forest pests in the continental United States. BioScience, 60(11), 886-897. Cumulative detections of nonindigenous forest insects by guild over time in U.S. Relationship between growth in international trade and pest introductions to U.S. Source: Lovett, G. M. et al. (2016). Nonnative forest insects and pathogens in the United States: Impacts and policy options. Ecological applications, 26(5), 1437-1455. 10  30
11. Invasive Pests and Plants VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: www.emeraldashborer.info/docum ents/MultiState_EABpos.pdf $12.7 billion response cost through 2020 Emerald Ash Borer Detected in 35 states and D.C. Removal of Emerald Ash Borer Domestic Quarantine Regulations 11  30
12. “The estim ated m axim um potential national urban forest im pact of A L B is a loss of 34.9% of total canopy cover, 30.3% tree m ortality (1.2 billion trees), and a value loss of $669 billion.” Invasive Pests and Plants VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Asian Longhorned Beetle Source: www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resour ces/pests-diseases/asian- longhorned-beetle Source: esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1890/15-1176 12  30
13. Invasive Pests and Plants VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: Kappel, A. P. et al. (2017). Mapping of the Asian longhorned beetle’s time to maturity and risk to invasion at contiguous United States extent. Biological Invasions, 19(7), 1999-2013. Asian Longhorned Beetle “B ecause this pest is introduced by transport in w ood-packing products from A sia, ongoing trade activities pose continuous risk of transport and opportunities for introduction.” 13  30
14. Invasive Pests and Plants VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: Piana, M. R. et al. (2021). Advancing management of urban forested natural areas: toward an urban silviculture?. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 19(9), 526-535. 14  30
15. Invasive Pests and Plants VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Not Detected 80 - 100 50 - 80 20 - 50 10 - 20 < 10 All Invasive Privets Ligustrum spp. Percent of Subplots In a County Occupied Japanese Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica Source: www.invasive.org/fiamaps/percent.cfm 15  30
16. Invasive Pests and Plants VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: www.clemson.edu/extension/bradford-pear Source: www.wspa.com/news/top-stories/south-carolina-to-ban- sale-of-invasive-bradford-pear-trees-and-3-other-species 16  30
17. Climate Change and Extreme Weather VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/6 Source: www.earth.com/news/urban-trees-grow-quickly 17  30
18. Climate Change and Extreme Weather VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/05/04/noaa-new-climate-normals 18  30
19. Climate Change and Extreme Weather VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/2 Projected Changes in Annual Average Temperature 19  30
20. Climate Change and Extreme Weather VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/19 Projected Changes in Plant Hardiness Zones 20  30
21. Climate Change and Extreme Weather VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: fitzlab.shinyapps.io/cityapp Source: Fitzpatrick, M. C., & Dunn, R. R. (2019). Contemporary climatic analogs for 540 North American urban areas in the late 21st century. Nature communications, 10(1), 614. 21  30
22. Climate Change and Extreme Weather VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 frequency intensity Source: nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/our- changing-climate/changes-storms Source: wreg.com/news/local/memphians-assessing-damage-from-ice-storm Variation of Storms during the Cold Season (Nov. – March) 22  30
23. Climate Change and Extreme Weather VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: www.chicagobotanic.org/plantinfo/tree_alternatives Source: forestadaptation.org/sites/default/files/BellStill_ChicagoWilderness.pdf 23  30
24. Land Development and Urban Futures VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Percentage Change in Urban Land Use, 1997 to 2060 30 to 43 million acres of land in the South Source: www.srs.fs.usda.gov/compass/2014/10/09/projected-land-use-change-in-the-south 24  30
25. Land Development and Urban Futures VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: vanhde.org/content/map 25  30
26. Land Development and Urban Futures VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Source: stevekingonsustainability.blogspot.com, March 10 2013 Space for large- maturing, long-lived, healthy trees? 26  30
27. Land Development and Urban Futures VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 27  30
28. Land Development and Urban Futures VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 Year 2009 to 2014 Tree cover in US urban areas declined at rate of 138,000 acres annually, about 28 million trees per year Lost $96 million in annual ecosystem services Virginia lost 4,270 acres of urban tree cover annually, about 878 thousand trees per year, and $2.5 million in annual ecosystem services Source: Nowak, D. J., & Greenfield, E. J. (2018). Declining urban and community tree cover in the United States. Urban forestry & Urban Greening, 32, 32-55. 28  30
29. Take Home Messages o Urban forests are increasing their extent across the southeast as population grows o Livability and sustainability of these urban areas depends on conservation and management of trees o Climate change, invasive pests and plants, and approaches to urban land development are serious long-term threats to urban forests o Decisions we make today about planning and managing urbanization will have implications for decades to come…the time to act is now VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 29  30
30. Emerging Topics on Urban Forest Health and Management in the Southeast U.S. P. Eric Wiseman, PhD Associate Professor of Urban and Community Forestry Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation Virginia Tech vtuf@vt.edu linktr.ee/EricWiseman @vtarborist VA Assoc. of Forest Health Professionals • 30th Annual Conference • February 14, 2022 30  30