Davey Tree Flipbooks

10 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | November/December 2021 VISION To inform and prepare Davey employees on the effects of climate change on trees, the Davey Institute has published the "Davey Climate Change Fact Sheet Series" detailing the projected impacts a changing climate will have on the seven major geographic regions in the U.S. The next phase of the Davey climate science project will be to develop similar climate change projections for Canada. "Climate change is impacting trees and the tree care industry in many ways, and these impacts will continue to intensify," said Greg Ina, executive vice president of the Davey Institute and Employee Development. "Trees also are green infrastructure that contribute to climate change resilience through the important ecosystem services they provide. As we continue to help our clients manage their trees in coming years it will be important for Davey arborists and field employees to appreciate and understand these impacts." The Davey Institute's Climate Change Fact Sheet Series summarizes these effects of climate change projected to impact the tree care industry over the next 30 to 70 years. "If humans do nothing and carbon emissions remain at current levels long-term, then we can project what that would mean," Ina said. "Under that scenario, by 2050 Ohio will have a climate similar to conditions found today in Arkansas or Virginia, and we will know what that means in terms of plant materials, storm severity, and other changes. If we just say Davey is going to adapt to what happens regardless of how we behave as humans, then I think that we have a tremendous opportunity to provide solutions, help our clients, preserve greenspace, and be a trusted partner in any client's effort to adapt to our changing climate." 7 REGIONS, MANY IMPACTS Dan Herms, vice president of research and development, said that although trees and landscapes in each region will experience different effects from climate change there will be many overlapping impacts. "Temperature increases are going to occur everywhere, and the impacts of that warming will vary depending on the region," Herms said. "For example, in the South an increasing number of days too hot to work safely will be a much bigger issue than it will be in the North. And in the Northeast and Midwest, increased precipitation will have effects that will even include increased forest productivity and growth in some areas, depending on the tree species. So, there are winners and losers." Herms said one focus of the fact sheet series is to equip employees with accurate information so they can address the needs of their clients as their landscapes experience these changes. CLIMATE CHANGE WILL IMPACT WHAT TREES THRIVE WHERE Hurricane Florence dumped several feet of rain on communities in the Carolinas in the fall of 2018. A total 235 Davey employees responded to assist utility clients in their recovery in the wake of the storm. A study conducted by Stony Brook University in New York showed that the storm produced more extreme rainfall and was spatially larger due to climate change. In one community, the storm produced 30 inches of rain. An orange haze partially obscures the Golden Gate Bridge as smoke from wildfires chokes the skies in the Bay Area. The size and duration of wildfires in the West continue to set new records each year, impacting many of Davey's operations in the region.

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