An unapologetic plant geek shares advice and opinions on gardening, the contrived and the natural landscape, as well as occasional topics from the other side of the gate.

January 18, 2018

The Week in Horticulture

     I have spent most of this week at the Mid-Atlantic Horticulture Short Course. I serve on the board of its sponsoring organization, and I have attended this annual event for decades now. It has always been a welcome diversion during the cold part of the year, as I look forward to being introduced to new plants, learning from great designers, and networking with my fellow green people, though others have referred to it as a CEU and certification farm. I found this year's conference somewhat somber in tone, as it seemed to me that many of the classes (at least the ones I took) concerned horticulture's response to a changing world, especially as it relates to climate. The keynote speaker was Michele Covi of Old Dominion University, and she set the tone with her talk on sea level rise and its affect on southeastern Virginia, after New Orleans, this country's most at-risk metropolitan area. I am sure I have mentioned that fact before, so pardon me for repetition, but it weighs on my mind constantly.

     One of the most interesting classes I took was on a community-based program in Richmond that used a great deal of science, technology, and willing teenagers to measure the phenomenon of urban heat islands. They went all over the city last summer to measure ambient temperatures on a very hot July day. Comparing the collected data with maps of the city's tree cover, it was clear that the cooler parts of the city also had more trees, while the hottest areas were full of asphalt. They overlaid these combined maps with income levels, as well as the number of ambulance calls during heat waves, and the way the patterns lined up was eerily perfect. Another climate-centric talk I went to showed, among other things, how new computer programs predict the effects of a warming planet on native trees of Virginia, and where these species might have to migrate to to escape the heat, this as other more heat-tolerant trees could possible seize the void. This same talk framed everything in either of two scenarios, one where we do nothing to abate climate change, and another where we do what we can and hope for the best. Even under the best circumstances, the news is not good. For some time now I have been convinced that there is really nothing we can do to stop climate change, we can only manage its effects. Even if we slam on the brakes right now, the best we can do is to hope for a slow down, not a complete stop.

     I also attended talks on introduced pests, including emerald ash borers, crapemyrtle bark scale, and ambrosia beetles. These are just a few of the threats to our natural and man-made landscapes resulting from a more connected world. The best news I got from these talks is that two species of our own lady beetles have now put crapemyrtle bark scale on their diets, especially important here in Norfolk, where 50% of all street trees are crapemyrtles. Technology played a role in several of the talks including using drones in forestry, sonic tomogaphy, and resistorgraphs. The latter are two non-invasive ways access tree health. There were also classes on phytoremediation, creationg bio-retention ponds, using IPM and biological pest control, and yes, there were pictures of pretty flowers too.

15 comments:

  1. I'm afraid I agree with you about the too-lateness, and that's particularly sobering in your location. Everything that can be done to slow the process should be, and will help, but the effects have already started arriving, so managing them is a must. In that light the Richmond heat island research is very interesting (and on several other levels, too); thanks for sharing it.

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    1. You are welcome, Nell. Everyone needs to plant trees.

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  2. Please, you and the rest of us,we need to spread this information like people fling grass seed everywhere.

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    1. Thank you. I do my best to spread the word, but I am no fan of turf grass. Can I fling acorns instead?

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  3. Gawd what a mess we've made in a very short time ... and most people don't really care; witness all the family trucks and SUV's on the road not to mention Lord Damp Nut's denial of climate change ...

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    1. Sybil, I am glad you recognize our pain here in the states. Lord Damp Nuts is a national embarrassment. How difficult is it to enter Canada these days?

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  4. It's hard to dispute the evidence. Every year, the weather gets weirder. I didn't realize SE Virginia was second to New Orleans for risk of sea-level rise. That's scary.

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    1. It is scary. Already here, people are raising houses in the lowest areas. There are few things sillier than seeing a slab-built ranch house being but on stilts.

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  5. Coming from the home state of John Muir, Aldo Leopold and Gaylord Nelson it is beyond depressing to watch a GOP governor and legislature undo decades of environmental laws and attitudes. No matter how hard concerned citizens are working, without gov't. acknowledgement of climate change it is impossible to get much forward movement.

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    1. Linda, my only hope is that that pendulum will swing back again towards the left, and towards what is right. I fight for it everyday.

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  6. Norfolk is more susceptible to sea-level rise than Charleston, SC? Didn't know that. Good to hear the lady beetles are helping with the Crepe Myrtle scale. I have 2 trees in my front yard that need their help!

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  7. In case your comments were not sobering enough, this morning I heard on the radio about the melting permafrost in the arctic, releasing carbon dioxide into the air and rejuvenating (disease carrying) micro organisms that have been frozen for thousands of years.
    I hope the very cool treatment against bark scale will prompt you to post about crape myrtle again this spring.

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    1. Chavliness, I did hear about the carbon release in the Arctic, not to mention the methane. Since I wrote this post I have found 5 areas of my neighborhood with bark scale infestation. I have reported them to people keeping track of such things, but to what end I know not.

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  8. What a great idea to have class teaching climate change on a local level and the importance of green spaces, not matter how small. Will you be hosting another winter walk off? I got ahead and posted one yesterday.

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    1. Hello Sarah! I just posted my Winter Walk-Off this evening. Sorry for the delayed response, but I will get by to take a look.

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