Proper Tree Selection for the Urban Landscape | Knowledge College Session

Urban trees commonly suffer from high mortality rates and infrastructure conflicts due to improper species selection.

This can lead to a loss of tree benefits and an increase in the associated maintenance costs.

The Florida Trees website provides recommendations that assist the user in matching suitable tree species to specific site conditions.

This session will provide a research update on research that explores how climate change may affect future tree selection, establishment, and performance in urban areas. Through state-wide surveys and field trials in different hardiness zones in Florida, the study seeks to find resilient tree species for future climates and evaluate irrigation methods' effectiveness.

Additionally, controlled greenhouse experiments will assess selected tree species' heat tolerance, while parking lot evaluations will suggest optimal designs to mitigate heat island effects, providing proactive solutions to address warming impacts.