Metro Vancouver Urban Forest Climate Adaptation Initiative

Amelia NeedobaPrincipal & Senior Urban Forester

Vulnerability

A System Already Under Stress

• Below ground (e.g., soil volume, soil quality, utilities)

• At ground (e.g., permeability)

• Above ground(e.g., utilities, structures)

When properly planted and cared for:• Long-lived urban trees generate

ecosystem services that increase our resilience to climate change

If neglected, we risk:• Disservices and increasing

emissions due to frequent tree removal and replacement

A System Already Under Stress

Risk and Vulnerability to Climate ChangeReduced growth and increased mortality due to…

Reduced water availability and increased length of drought

Waterlogging of soils and freshwater flooding

Longer wildfire seasons and increased frequency and duration of wildfire

More hot days that exceed species specific growth optimums

More frequent and severe pest outbreaks and variety of pests

More salt-water inundation during storm surges

Increasing diversity of species tolerant of Vancouver’s climate due to…

Longer growing season, milder winters and fewer damaging frosts

Reduce Vulnerability Now

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• Soil & Planting Infrastructure Guidelines

• Water Management Guidelines• Tree Management Guidelines

Plan to Adapt to Future

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1. Species Selection Framework 2. Species Selection Database3. Design Guidebook

Species Selection Framework

Species Database

• Initially 140 species• Expanded to 300 species• Analyzed more than 900,000

tree inventory records from 21 North American cities

Northern California• Mean annual

temperature• Growing season

Pacific Northwest• Mean coldest month

temperature• Summer climatic

moisture deficit Evapotranspiration

Southern California• Mean warmest

month temperature

VERY SUITABLE: 66 SpeciesGLEDITSIA TRIACANTHOS, FRAXINUS PENNSYLVANICA, QUERCUS COCCINEA, FRAXINUS ORNUS, CRATAEGUS X LAVALLEEI, PYRUS CALLERYANA, PINUS NIGRA, CERCIS CANADENSIS, ROBINIA PSEUDOACACIA, GINKGO BILOBA, CRATAEGUS X MORDENENSIS, CEDRUS DEODARA, SORBUS ARIA, QUERCUS ACUTISSIMA, PINUS SYLVESTRIS, PINUS CONTORTA, PINUS FLEXILIS, CELTIS OCCIDENTALIS, GYMNOCLADUS DIOICUS, CRATAEGUS CRUS-GALLI, QUERCUS SHUMARDII, CALOCEDRUS DECURRENS, CATALPA SPECIOSA, RHUS TYPHINA, QUERCUS MACROCARPA, NYSSA SINENSIS, KOELREUTERIA PANICULATA, EUCOMMIA ULMOIDES, PRUNUS LUSITANICA, PINUS PONDEROSA, PINUS BANKSIANA, JUNIPERUS VIRGINIANA, PHELLODENDRON AMURENSE, ARBUTUS MENZIESII, PINUS MUGO, FICUS CARICA, QUERCUS GARRYANA, CUPRESSUS X LEYLANDII, ALBIZIA JULIBRISSIN, QUERCUS ALBA, PINUS THUNBERGII, PISTACIA CHINENSIS, CUPRESSUS MACROCARPA, JUNIPERUS CHINENSIS, ARBUTUS UNEDO

SUITABLE: 160 SpeciesACER PLATANOIDES, ACER RUBRUM, PRUNUS SERRULATA, PRUNUS CERASIFERA, LIQUIDAMBAR STYRACIFLUA, PSEUDOTSUGA MENZIESII, CARPINUS BETULUS, PARROTIA PERSICA, ACER CAMPESTRE, ACER X FREEMANII, TILIA X EUCHLORA, PRUNUS X YEDOENSIS, QUERCUS RUBRA, TILIA CORDATA, STYRAX JAPONICUS, ULMUS AMERICANA, LIRIODENDRON TULIPIFERA, ALNUS RUBRA, AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM, QUERCUS ROBUR, ACER GRISEUM, ZELKOVA SERRATA, ACER PSEUDOPLATANUS, FRAXINUS EXCELSIOR, MALUS X ZUMI, MALUS FLORIBUNDA, AESCULUS X CARNEA, TILIA AMERICANA, ACER CAPPADOCICUM, PRUNUS SARGENTII, PICEA OMORIKA, CRATAEGUS LAEVIGATA, SEQUOIADENDRON GIGANTEUM, CARPINUS JAPONICA, PRUNUS AVIUM, STEWARTIA PSEUDOCAMELLIA, PRUNUS SUBHIRTELLA, CHAMAECYPARIS PISIFERA, ACER SACCHARINUM, AMELANCHIER X GRANDIFLORA, CRATAEGUS PHAENOPYRUM, THUJA OCCIDENTALIS, CORNUS FLORIDA, CATALPA BIGNONIOIDES, ILEX AQUIFOLIUM, PICEA PUNGENS, QUERCUS FRAINETTO, ACER SACCHARUM, POPULUS NIGRA, CLADRASTIS KENTUKEA, MALUS PUMILA, CRATAEGUS DOUGLASII, PRUNUS VIRGINIANA, PRUNUS SALICINA, PRUNUS X BLIREANA, DAVIDIA INVOLUCRATA, ACER NEGUNDO, TAXODIUM DISTICHUM, ULMUS PUMILA, MAGNOLIA GRANDIFLORA, HIBISCUS SYRIACUS, CEDRUS ATLANTICA, CORYLUS COLURNA, CORNUS MAS, PICEA GLAUCA, LABURNUM X WATERERI, QUERCUS BICOLOR, FRAXINUS VELUTINA, STEWARTIA MONADELPHA, PRUNUS EMARGINATA, TILIA X EUROPAEA, CHAMAECYPARIS OBTUSA, PINUS PARVIFLORA, QUERCUS ALBA X ROBUR, RHAMNUS PURSHIANA, SOPHORA JAPONICA, CORNUS CONTROVERSA, CRATAEGUS MONOGYNA, ACER NIGRUM, JUGLANS REGIA, AMELANCHIER CANADENSIS, ULMUS PROCERA, CASTANEA SATIVA, TAXUS BACCATA, CORYLUS AVELLANA, MALUS BACCATA, ACER TATARICUM, AMELANCHIER LAEVIS, ACER TRIFLORUM, POPULUS ALBA, NOTHOFAGUS ANTARCTICA, SALIX X SEPULCRALIS, PTEROCARYA STENOPTERA, PRUNUS SEROTINA, ARAUCARIA ARAUCANA, ABIES CONCOLOR, SALIX SCOULERIANA, TILIA TOMENTOSA, CRYPTOMERIA JAPONICA, TRACHYCARPUS FORTUNEI, PRUNUS DOMESTICA, CERCIS CHINENSIS, PYRUS COMMUNIS, MALUS DOMESTICA, TAXUS BREVIFOLIA, TILIA PLATYPHYLLOS, OSTRYA VIRGINIANA, ACER JAPONICUM, SORBUS X THURINGIACA, SYRINGA VULGARIS, CASTANEA MOLLISSIMA, PAULOWNIA TOMENTOSA, ULMUS X HOLLANDICA, ACER MIYABEI, MANGLIETIA INSIGNIS, PRUNUS SERRULA, AILANTHUS ALTISSIMA, OXYDENDRUM ARBOREUM, MORUS ALBA, ABIES PROCERA, MALUS SYLVESTRIS, LABURNUM ANAGYROIDES, MALUS TRANSITORIA, FRAXINUS ANGUSTIFOLIA, PRUNUS AMERICANA, PYRUS SALICIFOLIA, PRUNUS ARMENIACA, CERCIS SILIQUASTRUM, PRUNUS CAROLINIANA, OSTRYA CARPINIFOLIA, CLERODENDRUM TRICHOTOMUM, ULMUS PARVIFOLIA, BETULA ALLEGHANIENSIS, ALNUS CORDATA, PRUNUS CERASUS, PINUS RADIATA

MARGINAL: 79 speciesTHUJA PLICATA, CERCIDIPHYLLUM JAPONICUM, FAGUS SYLVATICA, FRAXINUS AMERICANA, QUERCUS PALUSTRIS, MAGNOLIA KOBUS, ACER TRUNCATUM, ACER PALMATUM, CORNUS KOUSA, BETULA PENDULA, NYSSA SYLVATICA, SYRINGA RETICULATA, ACER MACROPHYLLUM, METASEQUOIA GLYPTOSTROBOIDES, SORBUS AUCUPARIA, BETULA PAPYRIFERA, TSUGA HETEROPHYLLA, CORNUS NUTTALLII, POPULUS BALSAMIFERA, CHAMAECYPARIS NOOTKATENSIS, PICEA ABIES, ACER CIRCINATUM, CHAMAECYPARIS LAWSONIANA, POPULUS TREMULOIDES, CARPINUS CAROLINIANA, ULMUS DAVIDIANA, QUERCUS PHELLOS, CORNUS X RUTGERSENSIS, CORNUS X NUTTALLII, BETULA JACQUEMONTII, ABIES GRANDIS, PICEA SITCHENSIS, SORBUS ALNIFOLIA, ULMUS GLABRA, LIRIODENDRON CHINENSE, SALIX BABYLONICA, SORBUS AMERICANA, STYRAX OBASSIA, MAGNOLIA DENUDATA, JUGLANS NIGRA, MAGNOLIA X KEWENSIS, MAGNOLIA X SOULANGEANA, PINUS STROBUS, LARIX DECIDUA, ACER PENSYLVANICUM, MAGNOLIA 'GALAXY', MAGNOLIA STELLATA, BETULA NIGRA, SEQUOIA SEMPERVIRENS, BETULA POPULIFOLIA, JUGLANS CINEREA, MAGNOLIA SIEBOLDII, MALUS FUSCA, FAGUS GRANDIFOLIA, PRUNUS PADUS, TSUGA CANADENSIS, HALESIA CAROLINA, ACER CAPILLIPES, AESCULUS PAVIA, PINUS MONTICOLA, MAGNOLIA X LOEBNERI, THUJOPSIS DOLABRATA, SALIX MATSUDANA, FRAXINUS LATIFOLIA, TSUGA MERTENSIANA, PRUNUS LAUROCERASUS, AESCULUS FLAVA, MAGNOLIA VIRGINIANA, LAURUS NOBILIS, BETULA UTILIS, ALNUS RHOMBIFOLIA, AMELANCHIER ARBOREA, PLATANUS OCCIDENTALIS

Using the Design Guidebook and Species Database

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Prioritize locations to plant

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Use the Design Guidebook

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• Select typology option• Identify adaptation benefits:

Shading, cooling and stormwater• Assess constraints and species

selection considerations• Select targets for canopy, soil

volume, spacing and permeability

Use the Species Database

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• Tree characteristics• Suitable locations• Soil volume• Tolerance• Risks• Practitioner comments• Habitat value• Present and future climate suitability

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Thank you!