Urban ForestryMary-Margaret Benware
2025 The Garden Club of America Zone VI Fellowship in Urban Forestry
Linking Nonstructural Carbohydrates and Phenology Across Scales in Urban Trees
Due to the urban heat island effect, many trees in cities have experienced altered phenological patterns, often exhibited as early springs and delayed autumns. Recent research suggests that nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs), primarily sugars and starch, can accumulate in the leaves throughout the growing season, reaching a threshold which triggers autumn senescence. This relationship remains poorly understood but is essential for improving our understanding of carbon cycling in urban areas. For my project, I am measuring NSC content and collecting spectral images from the leaves of urban trees with the goal of developing noninvasive methods for predicting the onset of senescence.
The Garden Club of America Zone VI Fellowship in Urban Forestry
To advance the field of urban forestry by encouraging students to study the planning, management, horticulture and ecology of urban forests, and the effect of healthy urban forests on people and the environment.
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