The climate crisis is increasingly impacting U.S. agriculture, including Christmas tree production.
Like other crops, Christmas trees are vulnerable to climate change. Primarily as a result of global warming and the climate crisis, the United States is experiencing rising temperatures, more frequent and intense heat, increased precipitation, droughts, wildfires, and hurricanes. It is caused by humans burning fossil fuels.
A recent report from the National Center for Environmental Information, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), highlights just how serious the climate crisis is and how it will continue to impact Christmas trees. There is.
The report states that high temperatures and drought can stress Christmas trees and make them more susceptible to pests and diseases, excessive rainfall can cause flooding and root rot, and extreme cold can cause frost damage. It states that it can dry out buds and shoots.
A severe drought hit Oregon in 2021, killing more than 70% of the state’s Christmas tree seedlings that year, according to the report. This is because extreme temperatures and extremely dry conditions have completely killed the needles of more mature trees.
Jill Sidebottom of the National Christmas Tree Association said warmer temperatures can affect needle retention because Christmas trees need cold temperatures to remain dormant. As fall warms, trees have a harder time keeping their needles long.
“Those trees have to be cold,” she said.
Hurricane Helen in September caused devastating flooding and historic rainfall in North Carolina, resulting in approximately $125 million in losses to ornamental nurseries and Christmas trees, the report said.
In an effort to adapt to the increasing challenges posed by climate change, researchers across the country have been studying Fraser fir and other varieties of Christmas trees to increase their resilience to climate-related stresses.
Bill Lindberg, Michigan State University Extension Christmas Tree Educator, noted that young trees face challenges during droughts. Through research, Michigan has found that irrigation management and the use of wood chips to increase soil moisture work as short-term solutions, he said.
Lindbergh said long-term efforts include searching for tree species that may grow better in warmer, drier climates. Researchers also conduct genetic studies and breeding programs.
“Scientists hope to assist the industry by producing Christmas trees that are adaptable and more resilient to the threats of climate change,” the NOAA report states.
North Carolina State University’s Christmas Tree Genetics Program has spent decades developing “elite” Fraser fir trees that can withstand climate-related impacts.
Program director Justin Whitehill said their main focus is to help trees adapt so they can “continue to grow and survive.”
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This requires a traditional breeding approach, which can be time-consuming because Fraser firs take 20 to 30 years to produce pollen or cones, he said.
To speed up this process, Whitehill said, he tests trees and existing genetics in different environments, “how they perform at different elevations, and how the genetics interact with those different environments.” “We evaluate their capabilities based on whether they are correlated.”
“Rather than letting the trees figure it out on their own (which is a natural approach), we artificially help them by identifying which trees tend to grow better in new climates and new conditions, and “We’re trying to facilitate ‘transferring them to the next generation using somewhat sophisticated techniques,'” he said.
Mr Whitehill said genetic modification was being considered as another way to adapt Christmas trees to the climate crisis, but while it was being looked at and considered, “we’re still pretty far from there at the moment.” .
While climate change poses challenges for Christmas tree growth, Whitehill said, “We’re not yet at the point where the sky is falling.”
“Like any other crop we work with, whether it’s corn or soybeans or any other species, there are challenges and they’re happening faster than most of the species we work with can adapt. “But we are accomplishing our mission.”
“We know there are people working on it, and we intend to have something in place to resolve and happily move the industry forward so that people can continue to enjoy real trees for years to come.” is.”
