Ask the experts: What can you do about invasive tree species?
Addressing hazard trees is a constant concern for vegetation managers, and one of the biggest culprits is invasive tree species. They often make risk assessment and trim cycle planning trickier because their growth—and death—is often out of sync with native species. They also can crowd out native species, yet there can be other issues around removing them, like ecological protections.
Invasive tree species create another layer of unpredictability that, combined with climate change-induced shifts in storms and weather, continues to make veg management more difficult, and increases wildfire risks.
So what can you do about it? Hear from Grant Lee, Utility Specialist with AiDash, about the questions people have about invasive tree species, what to do about them, and how AiDash can help.
What risks do invasive tree species pose?
Invasive species are often not acclimated to the climate they’re currently in. So they’re the first to grow, and they’ll grow quickly in the wet season. And then by the summer and the dry season, they’re the first to dry out, so they’re at a higher wildfire risk than most of the natural vegetation that would normally grow in the area.
They can also provide growth competition. They start pushing out vegetation that is actually compatible within those areas and can naturally grow around the power lines without causing too much damage.
What are the best ways to mitigate invasive species?
You can help mitigate that by utilizing programs such as Mid Cycle, Cycle Buster, or System Hardening programs. They inform the risk module in the AiDash Intelligent Vegetation Management System™ (IVMS) to help you gain insight into areas of highest risk and inform your decision-making. You can target these species that are growing either too quickly to maintain within your cycle, or are drying out too quickly and adding to the wildfire risk.
What challenges arise in mitigating that risk?
Pushback from the public is a large one. Often, people like species that aren’t native to their area. So being able to remove those trees is a challenge, because you’ll have to go get permission from the owners to do so.
Some species are also extraordinarily hardy, so even though you’re trying to remove it and you go through several processes and attempts to do it, the tree can still continue to grow and resprout.
Also, they may even be protected in some areas. So if you have a tree that is especially crucial to its ecosystem, then getting permission to remove them from a municipal or government entity may be more difficult than normal.
What factors should utilities consider when they’re mitigating invasive species?
Some of these invasive species might have ecological protections around them, for either protecting other vegetation near them or protecting the local wildlife community.
How does AiDash help utilities mitigate the risks invasive tree species introduce?
AiDash can provide a genus-level identification of common problem trees, which, when combined with our wildfire and tree health analysis, can also provide insight into areas that are facing issues with invasive species.
We can also provide analysis of the changes year-to-year as customers begin to work through the environments, allowing them to see the impact of their vegetation management efforts.
To learn more about invasive tree species and how AiDash can help, reach out now to get a demo of AiDash IVMS.