Urban Tree Selection in a Changing Climate

Presented by Dr. Bert Cregg

Urban and community forests are likely to be among the first ecosystems impacted by climate change since projected temperature increases will be exacerbated by urban heat island effects. Based on current climate projections urban trees will experience dramatically warmer temperatures during their lifespans than the climates under which they evolved. Identifying appropriate tree genotypes for future climates is fraught with uncertainty and the potential for unintended consequences. In this program, Dr. Bert Cregg, Associate Professor of Horticulture and Forestry at Michigan State University will discuss on-going research and the challenge of identifying landscape trees for a warmer world.

Dr. Bert Cregg is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist for landscape, nursery, and Christmas tree production at Michigan State University.   His expertise includes stress physiology, plant nutrition, and plant response to environmental stresses. Dr. Cregg writes frequently on landscape and nursery topics regular and is regular contributor the MSU Extension News, the Michigan Landscape magazine, and the Great Lake Christmas tree journal. Prior to joining the MSU faculty in 1999, Dr. Cregg was a Tree Physiology Project Leader for International Paper and a Research Plant Physiologist of the USDA Forest Service. He earned his Ph.D. in Forest Resources at the University of Georgia and holds a Master of Science in Forestry from Oklahoma State University and Bachelor of Science in Forest Management from Washington State University.