Biomechanics of Trees in ROW Forestry Programs A Useful Metric to Guide Climate Readiness

1. Biomechanics of trees
in ROW forestry
programs: A useful
metric to guide
climate readiness
Dr. Anand Persad
Director of Research, Science, and
Innovation at ACRT Services

2. Climate Change in Small Island
States: Preview to a Global Picture

3. Bond 007
Tobago Coastal

4. Climate, SLR and Island States
 Global SLR of 1- 3 m in
another 50- 75 years
 Water encroachment
and salt contamination
of groundwater
 Urban and Utility Trees?

5. SLR : By mid
21st century
many atolls
inhabitable:
Ref Science
Advances
Mature Trees: Windthrow in saturated and
saline areas

6.  Pacific: Extended dry conditions,
Fresh water sources at risk
 Atlantic: Storms and Flooding
 Wind and Storm loading of trees and
structures- Hurricanes, Tornadoes,
Typhoons
 Flooding- Standing Water
 Erosion and Landslides
Geography- Changing Weather Patterns

7. Fires-High Impact & Huge
Economic Cost
• University
• Private Sector
• Government
• Community
• Utilities

8. Flooding

9. Focus on Green Funds- Research & Technology as
Funding & Policy Drivers in Frontline States
Funding Sources Government Funding Sources Institution
Funding Sources Private Funding Sources International
Funding Sources Other Sources var. CADI, FAO, UNDP

10. Equity and Mitigation Investments: Caribbean
Communities with less resources get what’s needed; High stakes to engage communities

11. Connecting Utility ROW and Green- Addressing Resiliency and
Climate Adaptation Challenges
Impact Factors:
Abiotic:
• SLR
• Drought- Decline and fire
• Flooding- Saturated soils
• Storms – Wind loading of trees and effects of loading very visible in frontline areas
Biotic
• Pests
• Disease
Roles of Science and Research - Heightened !

12. Technology and Community Engagement: Can raise the
profile of Edge Trees and deliver on ROI
https://www.fao.org/3/t1680e/T1680E08.htm#:
Climate Ready Trees- part of wider
‘Green Programs’:
Science and
Technology
Local
Community
Engagement

13. Government and private sector
participation
Growing institutional and
international interest in funding
technology for green resiliency
projects
Technology: Levels the Playing Field in Frontline States
‘Technology assisted’ encourages investment as
work is smarter sustainable, accountable, tracking
and ROI is more easily attained

14. Data acquisition from spectral signatures
Technology & Artificial Intelligence

15. Technology and Artificial Intelligence:
Accurately maps and tracks climate change effects

16. Dr. Frank Hall of the
Hydrographic Service—a
task that turned out to be
more challenging than first
thought.

17. Useful for tracking changes in Vagetation
Machine Learning and Customized Algorithms
ROW 3 years later

18. Opportunities to Channel Science &
Research towards Policy and
Practice – ROW Systems Approach
What is lacking?

19. Hard Metrics: Quantifying EROI, Biodiversity
and Stability in Greenspaces

20. Diversity, Biomechanics and Habitat Value
• Wildlife use
• Bioaudit™

21. Exploring Green Resiliency:
ROW trees as systems ?
• Climate-ready crops & production
systems easier as monocultures
• Diverse tree cover climate
considerations rely on adaptive
research and decision-making – to
inform policy
Adaptive Research- Consider impact
factors!

22. Species selection
Proper planting
Establishment
Benefits
Now
• Opportunities for Community
Engagement
• System Level Considerations-
Example Stability: Tree
Biomechanics
Trees and Climate:
Improve resiliency in UTC
Stability- Tree Biomechanics

23. Considering @ System Level- Urban Trees: Biomechanics
Stability and Resiliency in a Changing Climate
What are Impact Factors?
• Structure- Biomechanics-Small crown respective to stem, branch aspect ratio
and root anchorage
• Native – Endemic and naturalized to environments.. clay, sandy to
limestone?- roots and anchorage important in native plant-substrate
relationships
• Planting- Proper planting
• Establishment - Maintenance – Pruning and Hazard mitigation
• Benefits & Value – Ecosystem and Habitat; EROI

24. Impact Factors: Biodiversity, Management & Stability

25. # System Level Trees:
• Selection species- Biodiversity
• Site- Root space
• Plant-substrate relationships
• Maintenance cycles – Pruning, Herbicides etc

26. Urban & ROW Tree
Systems
Often Built on Desirable,
Ornamental Traits
Impact Factors as to why
Trees Fail? Now Especially
Relevant as EROI

27. Impact Factor- Pruning
Q. Process of Occlusion Rate- is it decreasing? Are trees taking
longer to heal in changing climate?
-Are occlusion rates an issue?
May need
pruning

28. Temperate Trees: Pruning Wound Occlusion? – Does
Erratic Weather Patterns Affect Structure & Healinggood
structure will require less input- Pruning etc
Is climate affecting healing- New impact
factors ?

29. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Black Walnut Pin Oak Red Oak Siberian Elm Sweetgum Tulip Poplar White Ash Green Ash HackBerry Red Maple Sycamore Black Cherry Black Locust Box Elder Cottonwood Honeylocust Silver Maple Tree of
Heaven
% Wound Occlusion with Branch Size
4 to 6 7 to 9 Percentage Occlusion 10 to 12 Percentage Occlusion > 12
Temperate Assets & Healing 5 years

30. Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Color: Yellow - Green
Fruit: Capsule / Nut -Squirrel
Growth Rate: Low
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
Bloom Time: April
Bloom Color: Brown
Fruit: Nut- Deer/ Turkey
Growth Rate: Low
Bloom Time: March to May
Bloom Color: Yellow and Green
Fruit: Samara- voles/ sirds
Growth Rate: Low
Red Elm (Ulmus rubra)
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Color: Yellow
Flower: Typical
Growth Rate: Low
Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Bloom Time: March to April
Bloom Color: Red - Green
Fruit: Wafer Like Samara- birds
Growth Rate: Low
Siberian Elm (Ulmus pumila)
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Color: Yellow - Green
Fruit: Spiny- finches in winter
Growth Rate: Low
Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
Benefits and Habitat

31. March
June
May
April
Pin
Oak
Tree
of
Heaven
Tulip
Poplar
Siberian
Elm
White
Ash
Red
Elm
Sweetgum
Red
Maple
Hackberry
Green
Ash
Sycamore
Box
Elder
Black
Cherry
Black
Locust
Cottonwood
Honey
Locust
Silver
Maple
Floral
Spread/
Fruiting
Moderate Growth Rate
Low Growth Rate High Growth Rate
Black
Walnut

32. Pruning
Stability
Factors: Impact
of improper
techniques are
becoming
highly visible
May/ June
2020/ 2021

33. Wire Zone
Border
Zone
Border
Zone
Off ROW Off ROW
Wire
Security
Zone
The Effects of the Border and Off-Row Zones are largely Understudied…

34. Biodiversity and Edge Urban Trees: Role of
Tree Structure in a System Wide Approach
Climate Related Whole Tree Failure?
• Urban areas (nearby urban tree
canopies)

35. Tree Biodiversity & Biomechanical
Stability- ‘Off Corridors’ in ROW ?

36. Edge Conditions in a Modified
Border Zone

37. Abiotic (non-living):
-Root/ Soil- RRZ
-Drought
-Flood
-Other
Impact Factors- Tree Structure and Stability

38. Urban:
Wound/
Drought
Complex

39. Weather:
Saturated soils
Wind throw

40. Biological- Biotic Impacts and Stability
• Pests
• Pathogens
• Wildlife
• Vines?
Wild pigs

41. Structural Assets: Tree Form, Adaptability to Site and
Aspect Ratios, Included Bark etc

42. Structural
Assets:
Diversity in
Biomechanical
Response

43. Mayaro E
To Better Align UF and ‘Green’: Stability
Metrics on Tropical Trees

44. Mix of plant
families,
shapes,
leaves and
forms
How does Biodiversity and Stability Align in Tropical Trees?

45. Analyses of crown, branch aspect ratios of native and
naturalized trees
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Biomechanics of Select Tree Species on Guam
Plant a diverse, biomechanically strong with a low to moderate in ecosystem arrangement trees based
on canopy to stem and branch aspect ratios

46. Species Name Family Size Biomechanics (Stability score)
Bofuring (Acacia confusa) Fabaceae Medium 5
Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium) Fabaceae Medium 3
Mapunao (Aglaia mariannensis) Meliaceae Small 7
Dugdug (Artocarpus mariannensis) Moraceae Medium 9
Kamani (Calophyllum inophyllum) Clusiaceae Medium 7
Chi'ute (Cerbera dilatata Apocynaceae Small 5
Paipai (Guamia mariannae) Annonaceae 8
Beach Hibiscus (Hibiscus tiliaceus) Malvaceae Small 4
Ifil (Intsia bijuga) Fabaceae Small - medium 7
Noni (Morinda citrifolia) Rubiaceae Small 5
Twin-Apple (Neisosperma oppositifolia) Fabaceae 8
Langiti (Ochrosia mariannensis) Apocynaceae Small 6
Pahong (Pandanus dubius) Pandanaceae Medium 6
Gausali (Bikkia tetrandra) Rubiaceae 7
Kou (Cordia subcordata) Boraginaceae Small 6
Mango (Mangifera indica) Anacardiaceae Medium 9
Aplokating (Psychotria mariana) Rubiaceae 7
Milo (Thespesia populnea) Malvaceae Medium 5
Hunik (Tournefortia argentea) Boraginaceae Small 8
Kauri (Agathis macrophylla) Araucariaceae Large 7
Candlenut (Aleurites moluccana) Euphorbiaceae Medium 8
Breadnut (Artocarpus camansi) Moraceae Small 7
Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) Moraceae Medium - large 5
Yoga (Elaeocarpus joga) Tiliaceae Large 8
Coral Tree (Erythrina variegata) Fabaceae Small 7
Poumuli (Flueggea flexuosa) Euphorbiaceae Medium 7
Fanlok (Melliodendron xylocarpum) Styracaceae Medium 5
Sandalwood (Santalum austrocaledonicum) Santalaceae Small 10
Malay Apple (Syzygium malaccense) Myrtaceae Small - medium 4

47. Individual Tree
Characteristics:
Break out strategies

48. Individual Tree Characteristics:
Strong branch connections and
suitable aspect ratios

49. GPEPP 2022
Guam Plant
Extinction
Prevention
Program- research
trials diversity and
stability

50. GPEPP : Serianthes nelsonii

52. Mitigation in Yap: Community Based Tree Plantings in
Response to Climate

53. 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
POS U Tacarigua E CleaverWoods E Manigilao U Tumon E/U Yap E Mayaro E Insrajan E Speyside E Scarborough U
ROW Tropical Trees # of Species and Biomechanical Stability: Urban
and Coastal Eco- Sites
Species % Biomechanical above 5

54. Biomechanics Week International:
Tree Resiliency in a Changing Climate

55. Allows for Arboricultural Research to Engage Developing States-
Attract Government, Academic Public & Private Partnerships

56. Biomechanics
Adaptive
Research

57. Lessons from tropical trees…
First meter up fluted but less so within 2nd m upwards tropical ash

58. Urban Group Ecosystem
Plantings
-Moisture retention
-Biological control agents
-Potentially lower stresses
-Improved biomechanical structure
-Edible landscapes

59. A New Hope: 21st-
Century city, on a
new, artificial
island christened
Hulhumalé.

60. -40
-20
0
20
40
60
80
Percentage Change 2012 to 2022 of Fruiting Plants
Recorded in Right's of Ways in the Caribbean, Pacific
and the US
T P+H9:H35OS2 TM 2 TTu 2 T SG 2 T Ma 2
Gtumon 2 Gman2 NAS 2 NA N 2 NA M 2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Percentage Change 2012 to 2022 of Vines Recorded in Rights
of Ways in the Caribbean, Pacific and in the US
Celastraceae Smilacaceae Vitaceae Caprifoliaceae Convolvulaceae Solanaceae Anacardiaceae
Rise of the Fruiting and Vining Plants

61. Plant Migration – March of the Vines?
Wild ground nut Apios
americana
Fox Grape, Wild Grape Vitis spp.
Vines Gone Wild 2022 ? No
video

62. Resilient Systems: Trees are
Climate Ready…but
• Grow where they do
best: Plant similarly
• Encourage Right Tree
Right Place
• Wind Ready- Avoid
Over Pruning and
Shearing
• Root Conditioning ?

63. Summary: Climate and Small Islands States
-Institutional strengthening can mean deployment and sharing of
resources to underserved areas/ Equity
-System approach to ROW trees especially in urban areas can better
define needs and ROI
-Community engagement, technology and adaptive research can help in
understanding resiliency targets

64. Summary Data: Climate and Small Islands States
-High biodiversity goals, were ‘climate ready’ focused and were
correlated to priority urban areas. Some initiatives that were launched
had edible plant requirements.
-Coastal areas had lower biodiversity but high biomechanical stability
scores
-Adds to the messaging of the need for accessible green spaces equally
across all communities regardless of geography, size, state of worldly
development or wealth.
-Global issue

65. Plant Considerations in Addition to Diversity
• Build a tree diversity program based on tree family group, size at
maturity and biomechanical stability
• Plant weak with strong / small with medium and large- ecosystem if
possible
• Root anchorage ?
• Consider reduced maintenance needs
• Habitat value and EROI

66. # Future, Good Vibes & Facts

67. Acknowledgments:
• Audrey Bezilla- Lab? field
• Rachel Bieneman- Lab/ Research
• William Anderson - Research
• Kyle Speck- Drone/Field / Lab
• Alex Chingyam- Guam/ Yap
• Stephen Younguk- Waab
• A. Khan – Caribbean Islands
• ACRT – Support National
• Troy Davidson Top Ranking-
Tobago
• Yohann Govia and Govt of Trinidad
and Tobago
Collaborators:
• KSU- Oscar E. Rocha
• Clemson- Samantha Mehl
• City of Hamilton- Dave Bienemann
• UF- Oscar Liburd
• UOG- J. McConnell, B. Schlub
• Andreas Detters, Germany

68. Flight Plan

69. Climate and Trees is a challenge and
solution best approached with equity, at a
systems level and with global aspirations
Anand B. Persad ISA National
Malmo SWD 2022

70. Questions?
apersad@acrtinc.com

71. UA-22-041
Visit the Conference App for information on how to submit for CEUs
Biomechanics of Trees in ROW Forestry
Programs: A Useful Metric to Guide
Climate Readiness
Speaker: Anand Persad