A beetle infestation has forced the city of Columbia to remove hundreds of ash trees, leaving gaps in the cityscape.
Beyond mere looks, however, ash trees are vital to the treetops of sidewalks and homes. Tree canopies mainly cover parts of houses, buildings or sidewalks to provide shade, which results in lower electricity bills.
“[The ash]was sort of an ideal landscaping tree if you wanted a big shade tree in your yard,” said Dave Dittmer, the city’s conservation officer. “People have been planting ash trees in their gardens for a long time. Because of this, there is a high percentage of them in urban areas.”
Ash trees have been plagued by the emerald ash borer, an insect that causes larval infestation and damages the tree’s vascular system. When the trees die off, branches or whole trees can fall onto streets and houses and pose a danger to pedestrians and buildings.
A study by Beau Brodbeck and Sharon Jean-Philippe, researchers at Auburn University and the University of Tennessee, found that 17% of a home’s tree cover equates to a $10 monthly saving on utility bills. According to their study, greater coverage translates into greater savings.
Ash trees not only provide shade, they can also help with drainage problems by absorbing water.
After the emerald ash borer was discovered in Colombia’s ash trees in 2019, the city began felling trees. Eric Schmittel, the city’s forester, said the problem is that it’s unclear how damaged a tree is because the infection develops from the inside and then travels outward.
“We’re kind of telling people to look for that bleach where you can see the really light bark being peeled off the old bark,” Schmittel said. “You can see these from a distance and usually in a spot where your trees (the bugs) have been doing this and have been for at least five or 10 years.”
Once this flaking is visible on the bark, one can know with certainty that the tree is about to die and must be removed as it poses a serious threat, Schmittel said.
The city plans to remove all ash trees within its borders, starting with those infested. However, if there is a tree in a garden, it is up to the household in question to remove the tree – not the city, which can complicate the process.
In the meantime, the city has drawn up a long-term plan to fill some of the gaps left by the ash tree clearing.
“Every time I cut down a tree, I try to figure out where it is and carry myself to a planting list to put something back in place,” Schmittel said, “or maybe even go where we might have one.” have large ash trees and plant them.” Below are other smaller trees. As soon as that comes out, there are already trees taking that place.”
It can take a long time for the newly planted trees to reap the benefits of a new canopy as it takes around 50 years for them to reach that height. And Schmittel said it could take even longer to fully mature, like the removed ash trees.
There is currently no short-term solution other than making sure all the ash trees are gone and putting a new tree in their place as soon as possible. But for now, local tree canopies may need to shrink in order for them to thrive in the future.
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