By Jill Golden
Published in the July 2023 Issue of Memento Mori
Whether you’ve noticed the effect of climate change on your cemetery’s landscape or not, there’s something you should know: Climate change is affecting the trees, turf, and often lovely landscapes of today’s cemeteries.
Even more important, unless you’re proactively planning for how to deal with the impact, you could be putting your cemetery grounds—and business reputation—at risk.
Science of Climate Change
“Climate change has created a constant, unabated rate of warming that’s having a direct effect on vegetation,” says Dr. Daniel A. Herms, vice president of research & development at The Davey Tree Expert Company. “Between 1901 and 2020, global temperatures have risen over 2ºF. But that’s only one aspect of climate change. We’re seeing substantial increases in the frequency and intensity of storms; changes in the susceptibility of trees to insects, disease, and drought; and unusual patterns related to the growing season and growth rate of all types of vegetation.”
Suffice it to say that changes in weather patterns are creating new and different vegetative environments. As the earth warms, both trees and cemeteries will feel the heat.
“Trees are racing to adapt,” explains Doak Marasco, a certified master arborist (International Society of Arboriculture), American Cemetery & Cremation Innovator, and manager of strategic partnerships for Davey Tree. “Some will thrive, and some won’t. Either way, climate change is impacting trees right now and, as a result, impacting cemetery landscapes.”
A few questions arise immediately. How hot will it get? Will trees be able to adapt to the changes? What effect will climate change have on the health and longevity of the trees that are essential to preserving a cemetery’s park-like atmosphere.
Climate Change & Landscapes
Nobody has to tell a cemeterian that a cemetery is a place for the living, or that the landscape—often open, largely green spaces—is a big piece of the overall mission. But climate change is having its own say in the matter.
“A lot of cemeteries were established 100-plus years ago,” says Doak. “As the years have gone by, landscapes have undergone major transformations, moving from original designs to mature and sometimes over-mature entities. Watching big trees decline or die out naturally is difficult enough, but, for cemeterians, having to deal with the effects of climate change on top of that can feel overwhelming.”
This is all the more reason for cemeterians to seek a better understanding of how vegetation is (and isn’t) responding to changing conditions. It’s also a reason for cemeterians to become more proactive in planning for and managing their cemeteries’ landscapes.
The truth is, changes in climate are going to exacerbate the challenges cemeterians already know about, as well as ones they’ve yet to encounter. For example, some plants are moving northward because they can thrive in places they’ve not been able to. For other plants, the struggle just to survive is real.
But plants aren’t the only living things having to contend with the impact of climate change. Pests are, too. As they also migrate to newly warming regions, insect populations that once were not an issue have suddenly become a big problem in many places.
In fact, so much is going on as a result of climate change that cemeterians need to develop an awareness of what is actually happening right now. They also need to know what is likely to happen in the future so they can take action to mitigate the worst effects.
“We’re seeing weather extremes all the time now. Swings from 70ºF to 30ºF is our new normal,” says Doak. “All the forecasts and scientific data that we have are pointing to the need for cemeterians to be better prepared and to act sooner rather than later.
Storms, Drought, Pests
Herms, whose research focuses on the ecology and management of trees and climate, says that some parts of the United States are experiencing, and will continue to experience, extreme drought conditions. In other parts of the country, there is, and will continue to be, an overabundance of rain.
Both conditions will have a direct effect on how visitors experience a cemetery. For example, when visitors come through the gates, the first thing they typically notice is the turf. If the turf is well maintained, they think nothing of it. If, however, there’s been too little rain and the turf has browned out or is dead, they take notice—and that can become an image management issue.
Of course, too much rain is also a problem for turfgrass. Besides the potential for fungus, oversaturating soil with water can lead to erosion. Then, with one big gust of wind, healthy, mature trees can simply topple, pulling their entire root systems out with them.
“As cemeterians know, trees, especially those in decline, are potential hazards,” says Doak. “Now with climate change scientifically proven to have an impact on the natural environment, they can expect to see unwanted changes in tree health, such as increases in pests and diseases. This can leave otherwise healthy trees vulnerable to environmental stress, which is why it’s important to assess and address an issue long before it can become a significant hazard.”
Cost of Climate Change
Trees, turf, and landscape are not just amenities for cemeteries. They’re business assets and, as such, must be well maintained. Add that to a cemetery’s duty of care and it means providing a reasonably safe space for visitors; it’s easy to see why an increase in weather-related events is of concern.
“Reactive storm cleanup is very expensive,” says Doak. “It’s difficult to get people to respond on short notice because there’s such a high demand, not to mention the higher maintenance costs associated with hazardous conditions. But being proactive with trees, especially those with defects, allows cemeteries to stage things out over time, making it easier to better manage the budget.”
Here’s a look at some of the cause-and-effect business impacts that climate change is having on cemetery landscape management:
- Disruption to routine maintenance and the need for new or expanded mitigation strategies because of more frequent tree-damaging storms and changes in pest populations;
- Higher tree mortality rates caused by more and stronger storms, drought, and pests;
- Destruction of irreplaceable tree canopies because of storms, disease, and pest infestations; and
- Changes in trimming cycles because of an increase in tree growth rates and invasive and migratory species.
What Can Cemeteries Do?
Climate model projections are clear in showing that climate change is altering the nation’s patterns of precipitation. That means wetter areas will continue to get wetter and drier areas will continue to get drier. Given these facts, cemeterians need to employ strategies that will help them face the future with confidence.
“It’s important to look out to these impacts 20 or 30 years from now and start Trees, turf, and landscape are not just amenities for cemeteries. They’re business assets and, as such, must be well maintained. Add that to a cemetery’s duty of care and it means providing a reasonably safe space for visitors…climate adaptation planning today,” says Doak. “It goes back to the old saying, ‘You can’t manage what you don’t know.’”
Doak recommends that anyone managing a “system” level of trees start with an assessment or inventory. An assessment is a snapshot in time of the current state of the tree canopy in terms of condition and defects.
An inventory is more dynamic because it can (and should) be updated periodically. This makes inventory an effective real-time decision-making tool, as well as useful for long-term sustainability and resiliency planning. Plus, it helps simplify proactive tree management and scheduling of work assignments. Both of these strategies help inform proactive maintenance programs so cemeterians can better manage and mitigate the risk of property and personal damage.
Another strategy is to implement a pest and disease environmental impact monitoring program. This involves having a skilled plant healthcare technician come out three to five times a year to walk the grounds, inspect plant material, record observations, and develop a response plan. A proactive program allows for both forecasting various scenarios and prioritizing projects based on risk and budget.
Why ‘Do Nothing’ Is Bad
Of course, doing nothing is always an option. However, not responding to certain disease or pest conditions, such as the emerald ash borer or the Asian longhorn beetle, can increase the risk of losing valuable tree canopy.
“There’s a science behind understanding pests,” says Doak. “You have to know what to look for, for starters. You also have to understand the signs and symptoms of different types of infestations. And you have to know the differences between invasive, exotic, and beneficial insects.”
Of course, there’s science behind understanding tree and turf diseases, too. Again, training is essential in helping identify an issue as fungal, bacterial, or viral.
Tips for Being Proactive
Of course, not everyone can hire a consultant for this type of expertise. So, here a few things cemeterians can do if they want to be proactive, yet also do some of the work themselves:
- Train in-house groundskeeping staff on the fundamentals.
- Recognize that decision-makers have as much of a role to play in the landscape as does the groundskeeping team.
- Get out of the office and drive or walk the grounds regularly.
- Encourage everyone to say something if they see something unusual, such as yellowing or dropping leaves during the growing season.
- Call in a certified expert to assess cracks, splits, and holes in tree trunks.
Whether you work with a partner or create your own in-house plan, it’s essential to develop a proactive plan right here and right now. Those who plan have the best chance of mitigating the risks, and perhaps even avoiding the impacts, of climate change.
Jill Golden is a project manager in corporate communications for The Davey Tree Expert Company, an employee-owned corporation that provides tree, utility, lawn care and environmental consulting services in the green industry throughout the United States and Canada. Golden is a graduate of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, and holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations. She resides in Cleveland, Ohio, and can be reached at jill.golden@davey.com.
For climate-concerned cemeterians who want to increase their understanding of climate change, Davey.com/climate provides research-based information on adaptation strategies, including regional tree care and planting recommendations.
