Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 38(5): September 2012 Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 2012. 38(5): 237–241 237 Urban Tree Growth and Longevity: An International Meeting and Research Symposium White Paper Rachel Leibowitz Executive Summary. Researchers from around the world gathered at The Morton Arboretum (Lisle, Illinois, U.S.) in September 2011 to share their experiences and knowledge on the topic of urban tree growth and longevity. A roundtable discussion was held at the end of the second day’s program, during which attendees discussed the state of current research in these areas and identified needs for future research. Four distinct subgroups were identi- fied within the broader topic of urban tree growth and longevity: tree production; site design and tree selection; tree and site management; and the need for descriptive studies. Throughout the discussion, it became clear that there must be greater collaboration among researchers investigating tree growth, increased investment in long-term studies, the development of a clearing house for information, and the fostering of productive partnerships between the governmental, industry, and academic sectors. To strengthen the impact of urban tree growth research on the tree care industry, results and conclusions must be summarized and distributed through suitable means for a variety of audiences, which might include federal, state, and local governments; property owners and consumers; nurseries and growers; tree care and other green industry professionals; and urban planners, civil engineers, and landscape archi- tects. To this end, the Urban Tree Growth & Longevity Working Group has been established to support communication between researchers and profes- sional practitioners, enrich scientific exchange, and enhance the quality, productivity, and timeliness of research on tree growth, longevity, and mortality. The general public has become more aware of the environmental, economic, and social benefits associated with urban trees, in no small part due to the cumulative efforts of research institutions and universities, government agencies, and both private and non- profit organizations. This newfound awareness, together with the latest information on climate change, has resulted in decisions to more substantially fund urban forest planting and management programs in many cities. Throughout the world, cities are com- mitting to plant millions of trees under broad planning initiatives; in the United States, million-tree programs are underway in New York City, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Denver, Colo- rado; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Los Angeles, California; while Sacramento, California has plans to plant five million trees (Young 2011). Perhaps most astonishing is Mexico City, Mexico, which has announced its goal to plant one billion trees over four years. Many of these millions of new trees will not survive to ma- turity, when anticipated environmental benefits are greatest, due to a variety of factors or conditions. For some, it may be because of inadequate or compacted soils in their urban loca- tions; for others, it may be due to abnormal growth that has gone unchecked, or because of poor planting practices with deleterious effects on tree roots. Lack of appropriate care and maintenance or inadequate monitoring also may be the cause of urban tree mortality. Although researchers are addressing these issues in laboratories, nurseries, and urban settings through- out the world, the transfer of this knowledge to growers, mu- nicipalities, private property owners, and tree care specialists is often slow or difficult. Determining urban tree life expectan- cies requires long-term data (Roman and Scatena 2011). Pro- viding these important players with new science that answers the most important questions in an understandable fashion is a challenge that must be met to keep urban trees healthy. To foster productive discussions on future needs for research in the areas of urban tree growth and longevity, and to share current findings by international scholars and practitioners, a research symposium was held September 12–13, 2011, at The Morton Arboretum (Lisle, Illinois, U.S.). The two-day event was organized with presentations on four topics, each with a keynote speaker and three to five additional speakers. At the conclusion of these presentations on the afternoon of the second day, attend- ees gathered for a roundtable discussion in which the four top- ics were further discussed, and research priorities for each were listed and ranked. All conference participants were encouraged to contribute to this conversation, with arborists, planners, stu- dents, and researchers sharing their insights. Greg McPherson, research forester with the United States Department of Agricul- ture Forest Service (USDA Forest Service) Pacific Southwest Research Station in Davis, California, facilitated the discussion. The research priorities established for each of the four topic areas will be the building blocks of the research agenda for the new Urban Tree Growth & Longevity Working Group under the Ar- boricultural Research and Education Academy, a professional af- filiate organization of the International Society of Arboriculture. The four topic groups for this international research sym- posium, as presented in lectures and poster displays at The Morton Arboretum’s Thornhill Education Center, included: 1. Descriptive Studies of Tree Growth, Longevity, and Mortality 2. Roles of Tree Production and Sales on Tree Growth and Longevity ©2012 International Society of Arboriculture
September 2012
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