ArborTimes Fall 2023

trees a lot more susceptible to pests.”

Tree care professionals may have good intentions when it comes to protecting trees, but it can take a trained eye and years of experience to know how and when a pest has invaded. “Most people aren’t trained to look at the subtle symptoms,” says Rafael “Andy” Vega, chief science officer for J.J. Mauget Co., which provides tree injection supplies and equipment. "Getting a team of specialists who are trained in monitoring for insects and diseases is going to be more critical.” WEATHER INDICATORS Climate change has been creating un- predictable weather events that are challenging a tree’s ability to defend itself. “There’s no denying that weather pat- terns have gotten strange over the last five to 10 years,” says Ware. “Because of that, we’re seeing a significant increase in environment stresses, which makes

Trees play a significant role in coun- teracting the effects of climate change, such as capturing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, providing shade, and reducing wind. However, they can eas- ily be overwhelmed by extreme weath- er events, especially with the one-two punch of heat and water scarcity. “Sometimes, we get a new invasive species that are well adapted to our cli- mate. Sometimes, we see natives that are dealing with conditions that are fa- vorable and allow for pests,” says Kele- her. “If you have a site where trees are really stressed out, their defense can go down and they can be affected.” Arborists have a number of tools to help anticipate how pests will behave in the spring, including soil tempera- ture, dew point, and growing degree days (GDD.) First identified in 1735, GDD is a weather-based indicator that measures heat accumulation to indi-

A longleaf pine showing the effects of drought conditions.

cate plant and pest development.

The rise in temperature one year oen heralds the early arrival of spring — and pests — the following year.

Learn more! Call 800.698.4641 or visit ArborSystems.com for information and videos Our advanced technology for tree treatment allows you to INCREASE THE NUMBER OF TREES YOU TREAT IN A DAY!

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