quences for forest health and survival. Many experts stress that this phenom- enon may lead to additional obstacles in the landscape. “Some US states are experiencing warmer and longer falls than average this year, and this can easily turn into a pest problem for trees in 2026,” Carpenter warned. “Longer fall with higher temperatures than average means pests stay active longer and lay more eggs, and this results in big- ger populations next year.” Climate change impacts are also ev- ident at the regional scale, where ab- normal weather patterns intensify the severity of tree disorders. “The Northeastern United States is pro- jected to continue experiencing notable effects in the form of more precipitation as rain rather than snow paired with warmer winter temperatures,” Borden noted. “While an extended growing season or less snow may sound wel- come to some, diseases like Phytoph- thora can also benefit from extended periods of cool, wet soil conditions.” Even though hundreds of urban trees die every year, pestilence is not al- ways to blame. Many tree problems are caused by concurrent contributing fac- tors, with abiotic disorders like drought stress, freeze-thaw damage, soil com- paction, and improper tree care acting as a catalyst to lure in opportunistic or secondary pests. Sons explained the dynamism of en- vironmental pressures and how they feed into a tree’s susceptibility to pests and diseases. “Longer periods of heat and less pre- dictable rainfall patterns will weaken tree health and make them more sus- ceptible to pest invasions and stress,” she cautioned. “Think of it as a one-two punch, with drought weakening the tree and then a pest taking it out.” If a tree is burdened under the weight of too many kinds of pressure at once, it can enter a steady decline known as the
Urban trees face extra stress from limited soil, heat, pollution, and human activity, which can speed their decline.
12 | Winter 2026 ArborTIMES ™
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