By: Kate Sievers, Mission Supervisor, Nature Based mostly Options
City bushes provide nice promise to enhance residents’ each day lives and make communities extra resilient to the impacts of local weather change. Advantages to residents embody cleansing the air, enhancing psychological and bodily well being, and mitigating the city warmth island influence throughout rising summer season temperatures. Choosing the proper tree species may help guarantee these advantages develop with us as our local weather modifications.
Deciding on the precise tree from the various out there species might really feel like an amazing resolution. The Local weather Tree Species Information gives a fast three-page suitability reference for over 180 tree species and every tree suitability for the altering local weather of the Puget Sound area. A extra detailed evaluation of species will be discovered right here.
A tree planted right this moment will see many years of development as we expertise the influence of local weather change. Within the Puget Sound area hotter temperatures and altered precipitation patterns are projected to extend. Traditionally the area has skilled an annual common of 1-7 days above 86F, however by 2070 that is anticipated to extend to 45-60 days. Summers and winters are anticipated to be drier, whereas spring and fall are anticipated to be wetter. This altering local weather leaves our ecosystem susceptible. So, what does this imply for our present bushes and the way can we make one of the best planting choices right this moment for a resilient tomorrow?