Open Association of Landscape Industries
Trees and Climate Change
Hi there,
was hoping to start a discussion on what peoples views/experiences are with regards to planting trees and indeed all plants and the issue of a changing climate.
It seems to me that there are two basic points: 1: do we plant plants of a local provenance that will be in ecological context with their surroundings and therefore better prepared for the pressures of a changing climate? . . . Or 2: Do we plant plants that are better suited to the conditions that a changing climate will present?
The current view tends to be the former, but the Trees and Design Action Group have a web application that allows you to select trees based on certian criteria that are suited to a changing climate which may mean that people are thinking towards that latter. Indeed a warmer climate allows for a greater number of species to have a presence here in the UK, and as we know from the work of James Lovelock 'increased diversity means increased stability of a system'
One associated problem is that pests and diseases will be quicker to capitalise on changing climate condtions, and the import of foreign plant material increases the risk of new pests and diseases entering the country eg. the Oak Processionary moth that entered the UK in 2007. These factors will put a huge amount of pressure on our native tree stock.
Of course there is also the important issue of using planting to mitigate against changes in local climatic conditions eg. trees to combat the urban heat island effect.
Anythoughts would be good,
Cheers,
Andy Dixon
TreeWise - Cornwall Sustainable Landscapes
was hoping to start a discussion on what peoples views/experiences are with regards to planting trees and indeed all plants and the issue of a changing climate.
It seems to me that there are two basic points: 1: do we plant plants of a local provenance that will be in ecological context with their surroundings and therefore better prepared for the pressures of a changing climate? . . . Or 2: Do we plant plants that are better suited to the conditions that a changing climate will present?
The current view tends to be the former, but the Trees and Design Action Group have a web application that allows you to select trees based on certian criteria that are suited to a changing climate which may mean that people are thinking towards that latter. Indeed a warmer climate allows for a greater number of species to have a presence here in the UK, and as we know from the work of James Lovelock 'increased diversity means increased stability of a system'
One associated problem is that pests and diseases will be quicker to capitalise on changing climate condtions, and the import of foreign plant material increases the risk of new pests and diseases entering the country eg. the Oak Processionary moth that entered the UK in 2007. These factors will put a huge amount of pressure on our native tree stock.
Of course there is also the important issue of using planting to mitigate against changes in local climatic conditions eg. trees to combat the urban heat island effect.
Anythoughts would be good,
Cheers,
Andy Dixon
TreeWise - Cornwall Sustainable Landscapes
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by dgeorgea on -
After the estate was built every single raised bed had a tree in it, and when tenants took over the running this was one of the first things they did, remove most, but not all, of them.
I think the tree officers comment that we could remove every tree from the estate sums up that they were poorly thought out, and sadly just as poorly maintained.
Part of the problem for me, in considering how we move from where we are now to moving on is there seems little easy access to advice and information on the different types of trees, what they have to offer and what issues are associated with them. I am somewhat reluctant to going to the 'experts' since they have seemed happy enough to butcher the trees we do have. Yes I appreciate they may have just been doing as instructed, but would have expected some feed back that we were doing the wrong thing.
Unfortunately or fortunately I have a lot less time to sit in front of the computer or hours on end researching.
Hopefully we will get there.
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Permalink Reply by Hamish on -
Thanks Pete i did think that people maybe thought I was advocating the wholesale planting of spruce, the native conifers are much more effective as a carbon store.
George, if you ever want help or to be put in the right direction let me help, as well there are so many real professionals on this site with the right thread you could probably can get much better consultation without spending a fair old amount of money. Certainly with regards urban forestry and tree planting the 'Arboricultural Journal' is hard to beat and it would not take long to discover what you need to know. It sounds like you are on the right track simply by asking the questions needed to be asked.
It is a sorry fact that nowadays there is more than one council who budget to replace every year the trees planted and budget accordingly. Replacement is cheaper than the maintenance needed to get the trees healthily into a mature stage where they can start to manage themselves.
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Permalink Reply by dgeorgea on
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Thanks Hamish,
I have already received a lot of good advice here. We will be developing a less harsh gardening regime on the estate and we will be replacing our current gardener soon, which should help. One thing I have learned is that while something may seem like a good idea it is better not to rush in to implement it, so hopefully we will not replace one mistake with another.
The first phase will be to identify which trees need to be removed. This may take two to three years to implement. Priority will be given to raised flower beds, those causing damage and in the area we are planning a community orchard. Some of the trees from raised flower beds I am hoping will be replaces with fruit producing bushes. As well as the community orchard I would like to see fruit trees dotted around the estate, though obviously will need to consider what diseases this might introduce, as well as being subject to tests to ensure that the land is suitable. Seems previous advice we have received may not be right. But would be another 3 to 5 years before we started introducing other trees.
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Hugh Dixon on -
I think it is important that our semi-natural woodlands be protected wherever possible and that we try and protect all 'pristine habitats' either directly or indirectly by reducing the pressures that we put on them. That said I also believe that non-native trees are not as bad as people like to make out. After all it was only luck that decided which trees would make it to the UK before the English Channel formed, and there is I believe evidence of species such as Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris) having existed here pre-glaciation In recent geological history terms. further in the past England was covered with Monkey Puzzles, but we may have been in the tropics then!). As long as there is some form of tree cover that is suporting a wide range of organisms thats what matters. It may even be that we can improve our diversity by changing the trees that we have here. As long as the soil conditions and mycology suit the tree.... I remember hearing about the results of a survey done on the wiildlife in peoples back gardens and it showed that biodiversity didn't favour native trees and shrubs at all. What it favoured was the tertiary structure provided by trees and shrubs of any kind.
They have found a disease resistant elm in Ulmus Americana 'Princeton' and have imported 10 000 plants to the UK i believe.
Andy
Cornwall Landscaping said:having seen first hand the damage and potential threat therefore to our native trees caused by Phytophora ramorum and Phytophora kernovii I am convinced that the need to protect our semi natural woodlands and all the new plantings carried out with indigneous species have to be protected firstly by way of controlling new species into the UK landscape. If not we may be faced with a double calamity - climate change as well as a pathogen wiping out the natives. We are currently working on an elm project, where in order to produce resistant species we have to look to foreign varieties; to do it right takes time and patience and far too often we see a new variety of ornamental plant rushed to the garden centre shelves without consideration. A classic recent arrival being the invasive Leycesteria formosa, which is already starting to become a problem.
The FC and Defra to be fair have been hot on this subject and there has been levelled criticism towards elements of the Horticultural and Landscape Architecture industry in response - again this criticism falls flat when set against a disjointed industry and as with Swine Flu the results are that mitigation is the only weapon.
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Phil Voice on -
I am a believer that weather is cyclical and, whilst we should be pollution concious and watch what we pump into the atmosphere, global warming could be nothing more than hype.
I have been reading a lot recently about how the last mini ice age gripped Europe very quickly (months not years) and there is talk in some quarters that it could happen again.
I know it's the Mail again...sorry (And I am not necessary supporting everything they say) but this article might be of interest?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1242011/DAVID-ROSE-T...
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Phil Voice on -
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18363-debate-heats-up-over-ip...
...a little more interesting info from the New Scientist
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Kieran Ray on -
When at school they tought us the theory of a wobble in the earths orbit every so oftern, sometimes we got hotter and sometimes cooler, at the moment, not because of our imidiate snow, we are technicaly in a mini ice age as we have polar ice caps, the planet has been without them before and will loose them in the future just like again in the future they will grow and cover a large amount of land. What the world leaders say is global warming all beacuse of our excessive polution is hype, whe have not caused it but we are speeding it up!
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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Pip Howard on -
Great debate - What strikes me is that post Copenhagen, the politicians and respective governments have shown that their only interest is to merely display themselves in the best manner they feel would increase votes and or help maintain their power (as well as increase potential revenue). The green lobbyists have been caught exaggerating to an extend which has meant that the truth is now so well hidden under blankets of 'greenwash' that real and necessary progress is delayed and the media are delighting in the fact that they can continue to 'debate' an undebatable issue - thus delaying any popular opinion to get behind the real issues. Industry is being allowed a huge amount of leeway including government backed schemes to trade in CO2, (following from the current economic climate as a result of dodgy property trading - surely this will end in dramatic failure).
And all this means that the 'on the ground' work to mitigate damage caused by climate change is being thwarted. It is therefore up to individuals to determine their own damage limitation - and it still remains that one of the best things that any one person can do is to plant a tree.
The chosen trees should be selected with the aid of the professionals, - landscapers / gardeners / foresters / nurserymen and women etc.,
With the added values attached to tree planting and their huge effectiveness in improving any landscape, it is shocking that government continue to ignore the easy option of assisting in injecting a much needed boost into an existing industry and at the same time tackling head on one of the greatest threats to our lifestyles.
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Permalink Reply by John on -
I did a few quick calculations last year, and worked out the best I could with the available information that I would need to pay £30 approx to offset my yearly business usage of a transit truck. I had to calculate using a 2000 cc people carrier as a guide and then add a bit.
I have just checked how much offsetting a return trip to Brazil would cost - £63 .
Let's assume that there are 150 on the plane, then each one of them is contributing twice the yearly amount of carbon to the atmosphere in two trips (one/two weeks), than I am producing in a whole year driving around in a transit truck.
I belong to the Woodland trust and pay a few pounds every month by direct debit. They are worth checking out if you are not a member.
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