Community satisfaction with trees and their management

Over the last few years we have been exploring which urban tree species may be suited to future climates (Kendal et al., 2018, 2017). This is being strongly influenced by urban heat, and increasingly by climate change. Tree managers were thinking about using trees to adapt cities to climate change; we now understand that urban heat and climate change are having effects on urban trees themselves. This work is showing that species are likely to change in future climates – cities like Melbourne will have a climate more suited to native species and subtropical flowering species (Kendal and Baumann, 2016). In contrast, the Northern European broadleaf deciduous species that have been quite characteristic of cities like Melbourne are most at risk from increasing temperatures.

We are now starting to think more about what the effects of these changes to the urban forest might have on people. Some of these changes are likely to change the way the urban forest looks and functions. In south-eastern Australia, perhaps less broad dense green canopies and winter deciduous trees, and more narrow-leaved and flowering species. If we only choose species that are climate-ready, we could have a dramatic shift in appearance and function, through the use of drought and heat tolerant species. We must include other considerations – community perceptions, health and wellbeing and ecosystem service benefits in future species’ selections. We must also consider effects on biodiversity – and biodiversity is important to people. How do we continue to use indigenous trees in future climates, and how will changing species affect wildlife (Berthon et al., 2021)?