University of Arizona researchers discovered that the meteor that hit the Yucatan Peninsula about 66 million years ago not only killed off the dinosaurs, but shaped the plants we now know. Recently published in PLOS Biology, their paper “Plant Ecological Strategies Shift Across the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary” states that the extinction event that was responsible for…
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Urban forests consist of the tree cover present above every community, town and city, urban trees are vital to the health and vibrancy of the environment as well as the population. There are many organizations, agencies and groups concerned with preservation of urban canopy cover and tree health, strong incentives exist for continuing, improving and…
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The world is watching New York City this weekend as millions of activists descend upon the city and peacefully flood the streets in an effort to bring attention to climate change. This event is timed to coincide with a U.N. climate meeting at which General Ban Ki-moon plans to address the assembly and urge governments…
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While lawns are more eco-friendly than pavement or architecture due to their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, mitigate stormwater, slow erosive forces and infiltrate water, they can be high maintenance and energy inefficient. Lawn care usually consists of fertilizing, disease control, pest management and a consistent watering regime, all of which has an impact ecologically…
DetailsWhile the summer is winding down, annual weeds have not yet disappeared and may be at their largest yet. At this point the best method for removal will have to be determined on a site-by-site basis, there are several available options and your arborist can help narrow it down. Newly planted areas may be the…
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Sudden Oak Death (SOD), caused by the fungus Phytophthora ramorum was first detected in California in 1995. Since that time the disease has spread to 14 counties and killed millions of oak trees, including species such as; tanoak, coastal live oak, California black oak, shreve oak and canyon live oak. It was also found to cause twig and…
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Birds have been known to build nests out of various and sundry materials, ranging from leaves and twigs to saliva and feces, depending on the species, range and material availability. Hawks appear to prefer coarse, dry branches and twigs to build the foundation of their nest, and similar to most other birds nest construction is…
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Data collected via regional Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA), by the United States Forest Service from the 1950s through 2007 reveal that in spite of the accumulation of the invasive, non-native pest of hemlock trees, the woolly adelgid, hemlock forests in the eastern U.S. appear to have sustained the impact well. The big picture they…
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A recent assessment conducted by the US Forest Service projects that in the next hundred years boreal forests, such as the ones that characterize iconic sites in Minnesota, may give way to a mix of broadleaf species. Given the pace and way that the climate is changes coniferous forests and feet of snow may be…
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Forests and trees are, as we have talked about here many times, vital to the environment; trees improve air and water quality, provide habitat and forage for wildlife, help mitigate erosion, act as sinks for carbon dioxide, provide necessary shade and aid in cooling property and impermeable surface and the list goes on and on.…
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