Changes in Street Tree Diversity Following Ash Tree Removal
Changes in Street Tree Diversity Following Ash Tree Removal
About Me
Hi! I’m Sophie, a biology major and environmental studies minor from Seattle, WA. I have worked as a research assistant in Professor Heskel’s lab for two years, and studied the impacts of climate changes on plant diversity and reindeer herding in the Arctic, and the impacts of emerald ash borer in the Twin Cities. My favorite classes at Mac have been Plant Ecophysiology and Invertebrate Diversity. After Mac I hope to continue researching plants from a leaf to landscape level. Outside of school, I enjoy exploring new cafes, painting, and caring for houseplants.
Abstract
Invasive Emerald Ash Borer insects have infected millions of ash trees across the US, and were discovered in Minnesota in 2009. Because they severely damage the phloem tissue of ash trees, infected trees are structurally weakened and pose a risk of property damage and personal injury. While chemical treatment is available, it's costly and requires a lot of upkeep. Due to the scale of the invasion and the risk to public safety, the city of St Paul has opted to remove nearly all ash trees on public streets, totaling nearly 30,000 trees in the past decade. As part of Professor Heskel’s lab, we sampled trees across the city and recorded variables such as temperature, tree species, tree height, and light exposure in order to o better understand how mass removal has affected the surrounding trees and neighborhoods. With a dataset of over 800 trees, my analysis seeks to understand how diversity has changed following ash removal and replanting. My results indicate that there has been an overall increase in diversity with variation at the neighborhood level, which may increase the resilience of our urban tree canopy against future outbreaks.