Urban core neighborhoods set to lose many trees

[fsu813]

Soon after World War II, a sea of oaks spread across Jacksonville's neighborhoods.

"Victory trees" handed out by a utility shaded sidewalks and yards from Avondale to Springfield and San Marco.

Now, those trees are dying of old age.

"They turned out to be water oaks or laurel oaks," said Anna Dooley, executive director for Greenscape of Jacksonville, a beautification group. "They have about a 60-year lifespan, which is where we are."

A generation of plantings from the beginnings of post-war suburbs in Arlington, the Northside and Southside are expected to follow suit.

"In the next 10 years, I would expect realistically to lose 25 to 35 percent of our canopy just to age," said Roy Sanderford, sales manager for Warming Tree Services Inc. in Jacksonville. "They're all coming to that age."

That realization is triggering preparation efforts to replace trees that are part of neighborhood identity as much as front porches and six-sided paving stones.

There's more than aesthetics at stake, though.

The conservation group American Forests estimated in 2005 that Jacksonville's trees did as much to hold and clean polluted rainwater headed to the St. Johns River as building a drainage and stormwater management system that would cost almost $1.9 billion.

They also filter air pollution, including carbon monoxide and ozone, the report said.

Tree advocate urges caution

Jacksonville could use help on both fronts.

The city joined other local governments in signing a St. Johns cleanup plan in 2008 calling for more than $600 million worth of clean-water projects. And last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed new national ozone standards that Duval County is expected to fail, which means finding new ways to clean the air.

There's no need for drastic measures like felling healthy trees, said Margaret Tocknell, who chairs a tree committee for Riverside Avondale Preservation, the main civic voice for the historic district.

But knowing when a big tree is dying allows a chance for it to be taken down safely, she said, and people in older neighborhoods should watch for signs their trees are failing.

Trees losing their leaves on top or with many dying branches are clear signs of trouble, as are large, wart-like growths on the trunk that mark a diseased area.

Because they have shallow roots and long, heavy branches, water oaks and laurel oaks are particularly prone to being blown down in high wind. In a dying tree, decay and rot can spread and weaken branches, increasing the risk to nearby homes and cars unless the tree is pruned or removed entirely.

Package offers for contractors to install new trees, ranging from 8 to 14 feet tall when planted, have circulated during the past couple of years to homeowners in Riverside and San Marco. A similar offer is planned this summer in Springfield, and Greenscape wants to expand the drives by working with community associations, said Dooley, whose group oversees the efforts.

Trees already on the decline

Prices for delivering and planting trees vary greatly, but often run between $200 and $500, said Bob Burns, Jacksonville branch manager for Davey Tree Expert Co.

The city has been tracking trees on public property, said City Councilman Michael Corrigan, whose district includes older neighborhoods hugging the river's west bank. As big oaks are taken down on public land, he said, they're being replaced with live oaks that can survive for centuries, or with smaller trees better suited for use around power lines.

A tree-planting campaign in Jacksonville a decade ago will help soften some of the loss as the post-WWII oaks die. The city reported in 2001 that just over one million trees - many of them shorter, flowering trees such as crape myrtles and redbuds - had been planted or given away to residents under a five-year campaign launched by former Mayor John Delaney.

Even then, however, the city's tree cover was apparently losing ground.

Citing satellite photos and other data collected between 1992 and 2002, American Forests estimated that Jacksonville had lost about 12 percent of its woods over 10 years.




http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-02-03/story/greatest_generation_of_trees_fading_in_jacksonville

[fsujax]

Between that and JEA contractors butchering those anywhere near a powerline the urban core will soon be left with no tree canopy!

[Overstreet]

If you have any large trees on your property it is a good idea to have a arborist come in and thin out the canopy before hurricane season. They thin it out taking the suckers and other non-essential limbs off to protect the general health of the tree. It also makes them less wind resistant and better able to keep standing in the big blow. You also will need them to check and see if there is any rot inside the core.

[mtraininjax]

This is not rocket science, must be a slow news day, trees on the front page, if they look like they are diseased or are not growing (showing mostly dead branches), even a Florida graduate can tell that the tree is a candidate for coming down.

[Lucasjj]

RAP has an active tree sale program going on now that is taking orders until March 1st. Prices range from 225-425 including the delivery, installation, and a one year guarantee.

http://www.riversideavondale.org/index.php?id=98

[fsu813]

it mentioned that in the article. it also mentioned how Springfield was going to have a similar program this summer....

[uptowngirl]

Why do trees always get planted in the middle of summer in Springfield....even a Florida Grad knows this is NOT the time of year to plant trees...

[Captain Zissou]

If by 'Florida Grad' you mean a graduate from UF specifically, then please clarify.  Funny that you would choose the best research University in the South as your target of ridicule

[Captain Zissou]

On a more serious and related note, what would the height of a 60 year old water oak be?   

[reednavy]

They can range from 40-80ft tall. My partner and I ahve one that is about 25 years old and it is 50ft tall.

Water oaks and Laurel Oaks are native and are dangerous trees once they pass 30 years of age, as they naturally rot at the core. People think because it is a native of Florida, it is wind resistent, not so much with these two. I have several tree and palm tree books, and one called Stormscaping. It is a good book to use for wind and not wind resistent plants from shrubs to full canopy trees.

On a side note, one palm tree that causes a lot of problems is the commonly planted Queen Palm. People think it is a palm, so it is wind resistent. No, these can fall in winds as low as 60mph. The taller they are, the more likely than can fall, along with you local soil conditions, etc.

Stormscaping book:
http://www.amazon.com/Stormscaping-Florida-Gardening-Vol-3/dp/0971222029

[fsu813]

so the Live Oak is the one to plant then, eh?

[fsujax]

Live oaks are the best. Planting trees in the middle of summer is not a good idea, unless someone is going to water it everyday!

[Karl_Pilkington]

This is not rocket science, must be a slow news day, trees on the front page, if they look like they are diseased or are not growing (showing mostly dead branches), even a Florida graduate can tell that the tree is a candidate for coming down.

Two guys were walking down the street and one says, "Hey, I just heard a great Georgia Tech joke."
"Hold on," says the other fellow, "I went to Georgia Tech."
"Oh. Well, in that case, I''ll tell it very slowly."

[reednavy]

so the Live Oak is the one to plant then, eh?

I think I made a post about this last year, but the best one's to plant for shade that are very wind resistent are Magnolias and Live Oaks.

However, Water and Laurel Oaks provide necessary shade quickly and are natives. The key is to plant them in an area further area from your house, reducing the threat of it coming down. However, with proper trimming and maintenance, they can be kept around for a long time. That cna be said for most trees though, proper care can give them full or extend their life span.

[reednavy]

Live oaks are the best. Planting trees in the middle of summer is not a good idea, unless someone is going to water it everyday!

You can plant in summer, but for young trees, that are under 5 years of age, need to be planted in the paring as the soil warms. Warming soil promotes healthy root growth. The summer can shock them with the extreme heat and sometimes incredible amounts of rainfall. However, older trees and palms can be planted during the summer, just be sure to stake them to help stabilize them in the crazy summer winds.