Editorial: climate, extreme weather, and the need for community engagement with urban tree futures

Abstract

Long-standing climate changes are triggering more extreme weather events which are greater in intensity but also more frequent in occurrence. Whilst trees, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas, help moderate extreme weather and may even contribute to at least a slowing of some adverse changes, they are in turn threatened by storms, droughts, and floods. Responding to these pressures necessitates new approaches, and techniques to both reduce and sometimes to repair damage, and this is where arboricultural science and good practice come to the fore. Additionally, in order to improve best practice and to provide dissemination of novel ideas, and importantly to test them, communication is the key. Furthermore, this is increasingly necessary on a global scale, and hopefully, the Arboricultural Journal plays a vital role in this. However, the development of effective strategies to address the coming challenges for urban trees and especially for established trees which increasingly become urbanised and stressed, involves a host of variable stakeholders including NGOs. Moreover, with cash-strapped local authorities, the work of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and of forest volunteers and tree wardens becomes more vital. These are all matters considered by the selection of papers for this issue of the Arboricultural Journal. Elton et al. (2023) have taken the eastern United States as a case-study region to examine urban forestry non-governmental organisations. They showed the importance of NGOs, of volunteers, and of strategic partnerships in delivering urban forestry, and especially in matters of awareness and communication to a wider public. Activities where this was the case included major tree-planting projects and in celebratory and educational events. In a paper that is relevant to this discussion, Danquah (2023), considered the perceptions of trees in urban areas held by landlords and owners of businesses. Concerns included root-damage to buildings and slippery surfaces caused by both fallen leaves and dropped fruit. Positive aspects of urban trees were felt to be the provision of edible fruits and nuts, improved health conditions, shade, and oxygen production by trees. Furthermore, in urban areas, protection from wind was important. It is useful to gain insight into attitudes and perceptions held by key stakeholders if effective, long-term strategies are to be implemented. As noted earlier, with changing climate, we are witnessing more extreme weather events, and these bring damage and risk. Potentially, in an urban area, the impacts of storm damage or other related impacts may decrease local resilience to long-term changes. Addressing responses to storm-damaged trees is discussed for the case-study area of New Jersey State (USA) by Greene and Greene (2023). They examined the damage to trees in storm-prone areas and considered possible actions to recover, remediate, or repair stormdamaged specimens. The approach and the ideas presented raise further questions about our responses to catastrophic events and the damage, perhaps, of short-term, knee-jerk Arboricultural Journal 2023, VOL. 45, NO. 3, 177–178 https://doi.org/10.1080/03071375.2023.2235941