Climate Change Commits 'Treeson'

There has recently been a lot of discussion on the impact planting trees can have to mitigate climate change, but have you ever wondered how climate change is affecting trees? Three critical aspects of climate change that are impacting trees are the rising concentration of carbon dioxide, warming temperatures, and the increase in extreme weather events. These factors impact a tree’s growth, health, and ultimately, its chance of survival. 

Plants rely on carbon dioxide (CO2) for photosynthesis, which is why one may think that an increase in its atmospheric levels will increase the productivity of trees. However, research shows that although rising CO2 concentrations may initially benefit plants, the benefits decrease past a certain threshold that results in reduced productivity. This threshold is reached once the rate of rising temperatures exceeds the rate of rising CO2 concentrations. This is important to note considering that current warm temperatures already cause adverse effects towards trees. 

A study conducted in Central Europe found that rising global temperatures have caused trees to experience longer growing seasons. Although these longer growing seasons are allowing trees to grow quicker, the wood is also becoming weaker. It was found that since 1870 the wood density of four tree species has decreased by 8-12% due to warming temperatures and changing nitrogen levels in the soil. Samples taken from these species also showed that their CO2 content decreased by 50%, further showing trees can only uptake a certain amount of CO2 past a certain threshold. Warming temperatures can also alter the seasonal life cycles of harmful insects and enable them to develop quicker and travel further to cause damage to trees as well. The weakening of wood caused by warming temperatures can also allow wood to break more easily and be susceptible to damage from extreme weather events like storms and fires. 

Warmer global temperatures cause a delayed fall - thus a longer growing season for trees (Harvard Magazine, 2019).

Extreme weather events like wildfires and floods have caused severe damage to trees in the past and are projected to continue to do so. In 2020 alone, 10.3 million acres of forest in the U.S. were consumed by wildfires. It is predicted that the intensity and frequency of wildfires, as well as storms and hurricanes, will only increase with climate change. This will result in the loss of more forests, as well as a subsequent increase in the amount of CO2 that is released into the atmosphere during wildfires and through decay of trees.Droughts can also increase the risk of wildfires and reduce a tree’s ability to produce sap which takes away its protection against harmful insects like pine beetles.

The 2014 megafires in Canada’s Northwest Territories scorched more than 7 million acres of spruce, pine, aspen and other evergreen trees, releasing 103 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere (NASA / Xanthe Walker, Center for Ecosystem Science and Society at Northern Arizona University).

“While planting trees does help mitigate climate change, it is important to understand that just the action of planting trees alone will not reverse the effects of climate change.”

Climate change has brought forth altered precipitation patterns as well as extreme weather events that can damage trees and put stress on them to adapt. Tree lines, which are determined by environmental conditions and represent the edge of a habitat where trees can grow, will change as a result of climate change. If trees can no longer thrive in the changed environment they will die. While planting trees does help mitigate climate change it is important to understand that just the action of planting trees alone will not reverse the effects of climate change. We need to all work towards living a more sustainable life and put pressure on corporations and the government to move towards a more sustainable future, not only for us, but also for the health of our trees.

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Sources:

“Climate Impacts on Forests.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 22 Dec. 2016. 19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-forests_.html. 

“Facts + Statistics: Wildfires.” III, www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-wildfires. 

Grace, John, et al. “Impacts of Climate Change on the Tree Line.” Annals of Botany, Oxford University Press, Oct. 2002. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4240388/. 

Harvey, Chelsea. “Balance Between CO 2 and Warming Means Life or Death for Trees.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 28 Nov. 2019. www.scientificamerican.com/article/balance-between-co2-and-warming-means-life-or-death-for-trees/. 

Lakshmi SupriyaAug. 22, 2018, et al. “Climate Change Is Making Trees Bigger, but Weaker.” Science, 22 Aug. 2018. www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/08/climate-change-making-trees-bigger-weaker.

All About Alternative Lawns

While grass lawns are said to have been introduced in America around 1870, it was in the 1950s that they truly became popularized. Three main factors are attributed to the cause of this: 1. The creation of Levittown saw thousands of lawns that must be neatly manicured come to rise; 2. The need for cheap housing to be built fast for returning GIs coupled with the societal mindset that a simple uniform lawn was ideal for those who had been trained in the ways of order and obedience; 3. The creation of technological and scientific advancements, such as rotary lawnmowers and fertilizer. But is this actually what’s best?

We now recognize there are many disadvantages of a traditional grass lawn when compared to planting a sustainable garden landscape. One drawback is that grass lawns are a monoculture - meaning a sole species across a given area - whereas sustainable lawns facilitate biodiversity by introducing multiple species into that same given area. Second, due to the fact that grass is wind pollinated, it does not serve local pollinators. Conversely, a converted lawn does because it provides a variety of showy flowers for insects such as bees and butterflies. 

Other advantages of converting your lawn include: encouraging groundwater recharge, increasing property value, and improved visual aesthetics. After plants’ two year establishment period, a drought-tolerant lawn saves 31 gallons of water per sq. ft each month VS its traditional grass counterpart. That’s 186,000 gallons saved over one year for a 500 sq. ft lawn! Furthermore, a study done by the City of Santa Monica’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment found that a sustainable lawn used - on average - 83% less water, created 56% less green waste (ie. weeds), and needed 68% less maintenance than a grass lawn. 

The benefits really speak for themselves, which is why it's part of our mission here at Our City Forest to bring these alternative lawns to the community. The Lawn Busters team utilizes a five step process called ‘sheet mulching’ to fully convert landscapes in just two days! It is a low-cost method that uses recycled cardboard as a weed suppressant. Drought tolerant and California native plants are planted in these lawns. To read more details and see if you qualify for their program, click on ‘Lawn Busters’ under the ‘Other Programs’ tab on our website. If you do not qualify, the team will be hosting DIY classes at the demo garden located in our parcel at Martial Cottle Park. Check our calendar here to find out when they will be offered!

Check out some photos of projects we have done below!

A lawn after 6 months of growth!

A lawn after 1 year of growth!

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Sources

City of Santa Monica. (2013, March). Sustainable Landscape The Numbers Speak for
Themselves.

https://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/OSE/Categories/Landscape/garden-garden-2013.pdf

Lawn Busters. (2015). Our City Forest. http://www.ourcityforest.org/lawnbusters

The History of Lawns. (2018, May 6). Planet Natural.
  https://www.planetnatural.com/organic-lawn-care-101/history/

The Palm Oil Dilemma: Saving Asia's Rainforests

Have you ever heard of palm oil products? Despite whether or not you have heard of palm oil, it is likely something you use or consume every single day, and probably several times a day. Palm oil can be found in many household products from soaps and lotions, to cereals and snacks. It is an extremely versatile oil that contributes to about half of the products one uses everyday. Unfortunately, the harvesting of palm oil is one of the leading causes of rainforest destruction in certain parts of the world. So how can we balance our needs with the needs of the world? Let’s take a look.

Palm oil is a vegetable oil that is harvested from oil palm trees. When compared to other vegetable oils like soy or canola, oil palms yield 4-10 times more oil per acre of harvested land. Because palm oil is grown more efficiently, and its derivatives can be used in so many products, the demand for palm oil has soared. Palm oil plantations have had to grow and expand to meet the rising demand for palm oil. Unfortunately, this has had a detrimental effect on local environments.

Oil palms grow best in tropical areas, so rainforests are often cut down to make room for growing plantations. Not only is the loss of rainforests detrimental to the global climate, but the expansion of palm oil plantations often leads to the displacement of indigenous groups as well. In addition, the local wildlife and plant species lose their homes and face major threats of extinction. Many animals like orangutans, rhinos, and tigers are only found in this region of the world, and if we do not strive to make the harvesting of palm oil more sustainable, we could see these species go extinct.

So what can we as consumers do about it?

One of the first steps to solving a problem is to learn more about it. To begin your journey of learning more about palm oil you can explore the products in your home. Take a look at the ingredients in products that you often use, or your favorite snacks and foods, and see if you can find palm oil or palm oil derivatives listed. This can be a little tricky because palm oil goes by several names, and it is used in the production of many ingredients. I have provided a helpful resource you can use to identify other names to be on the lookout for: Rainforest Action Network. The more you become aware of it, the easier it is to realize that palm oil is everywhere.

It is not realistic to boycott palm oil entirely. Not only is it more efficient to harvest than other vegetable oils, but it is also a major part of the economy in many countries in Southeast Asia. The loss of palm oil production could have devastating effects on the countries that rely on its production. Instead, the key is to make our production processes and supply chains for purchasing palm oil more sustainable. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, or RSPO, is an organization that encourages companies to re-evaluate their production processes and palm oil usage. The companies and groups that are a part of the RSPO have made varying levels of commitment to moving towards sustainable palm oil. Becoming a member of the RSPO is often the first step companies take to start improving the way they acquire palm oil. Many companies have also improved past this initial commitment and are well within the process of moving towards using sustainably sourced palm oil in their products.

While shopping, it is important for us as consumers to support the brands that are working to be sustainable. However, it can be very hard to research every brand and product on your list. Luckily, there are many organizations that make this process as easy as possible. A good first step is to look for certain logos on the packaging of products like the ones pictured below.  

These logos signify that the product has been evaluated by different organizations and that the product has met certain sustainable production standards. There are also smartphone apps that make it very easy to compare brands based on their palm oil usage. The “Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping” app created by the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado, is a great resource to use when you are at the store. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo researches the brands and companies for you, and rates them on a color scale so you know how committed they are to sustainable palm oil. A green rating is excellent, yellow is good, and orange is okay. You can use this app to search products and determine the best brands to buy from that support sustainable palm oil efforts.

What if your favorite products haven’t made the commitment to sustainability? Reach out to them! Let companies know that sustainability should be a priority. In addition to the shopping app, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has example letters that you can use to contact companies regarding their use of palm oil. They also have campaigns to reach out to large companies that haven’t made the commitment to sustainable palm oil yet.

In the fight for a better future, small changes can add up to make a huge difference. Joining the effort for more sustainable shopping is a great way to protect forests all over the world!