The mission of the Urban Tree Growth & Longevity Working Group is to foster communication among researchers and professionals, enrich scientific exchange, and enhance the quality, productivity, and timeliness of research on tree growth, mortality and longevity through collaboration.

The goal is to use a coordinated approach to provide involved professionals with information they need to make decisions that improve tree performance. Understanding how factors interact to influence tree growth, mortality and longevity is fundamental to actualizing the value of urban forests through 1) tree selection (matching trees with site conditions), 2) modification of site conditions to foster desired tree performance, 3) targeting tree care and monitoring to improve return on investment, 4) predicting tree replacement needs due to mortality, and 5) modeling of tree benefits and costs.

History: The Urban Tree Growth and Longevity Working Group was founded in July 2010 at the annual meeting of the International Society of Arboriculture. Several researchers gave presentations on the topic which led into the discussion of a joined afford in this research area. We started out with a conference call and have since had our first Urban Tree Growth Symposium which was held at the Morton Arboretum in September 2011. The ISA will bring out a special issue on the topics presented at the symposium and we are looking forward to be present at the 2012 ISA annual conference in Portland. Keep your eyes open!

 

 

 

 

 

 

updated October 6, 2011; JWB