Environment Resolution

From the ad hoc Environment Committee

Presented May 5, 2000; Passed June 16, 2000 

The urban forest contributes substantially to the quality of life on the USM campus.  Protecting existing trees, replacing losses, and enlightened landscaping of developed areas should be a priority in the maintenance of the campus.  In this vein we make the following suggestions.

1. The trough.  Trees should be planted in the newly exposed central section of campus, which appears as a trough in three-dimensional graphs of tree density and diameter.  Trees should be used to break the stark architectural lines and shade the south-facing walks beside the new Liberal Arts and Theatre and Dance Buildings.
2. Shade trees.  New planting should use trees with potential heights>50 feet, i.e. trees which can cast effective shade on walks and public places.  In particular, shade trees should be planted in south-facing, masonry-lined areas adjacent to buildings ("solar furnaces").  Short species such as Bradford Pears and Crabapples should be avoided.
3. Species diversity.  To relieve the visual monotony of some parts of campus, tree species other than Oaks and Pines should be planted.  We favor species native to the Gulf Coast region, consistent with our natural heritage and emphasizing our commitment as a regional institution.  Species diversity has the additional advantage of protecting the urban forest from disease.  Suggestions are made in our previous list of tree recommendations (Appendix B).
4. Construction.  Tree protection clauses should be built into all future agreements with building contractors.  These clauses should be explicit as to how trees will be guarded, should include escrow funds for tree replacement, and should be verified by frequent inspection.  The regular staff of Physical Plant should be trained in tree protection measures, and should have ready access to the new Grounds Department for consultation when needed.
5. Injury hotspots.  Local areas of frequent or severe injury identified in this report should be inspected.  Although many injured trees are structurally sound and can potentially shade the campus for decades more, a few trees are in such bad shape that they should probably be removed.  The severely rotten Oak at the southeast corner of McLemore Hall is an example.  The grounds crew should work with fraternity members and residents of Pine Haven to protect trees in those areas.
6. Canopy death.  Pecans, Dogwoods, and Cherries, which showed excessive canopy death in this study, should be inspected by a professional tree pathologist.  The Mississippi State Extension Service can provide such a person.
7. Root plates.  Although it is impossible to avoid contact of tree roots with pavement and masonry, an effort should be made to allow adequate space for tree growth.  Less than 50% root plate coverage for all campus trees is a reasonable goal.
8. Natural areas.  Some infrequently used parts of campus have a semi-natural appearance and could easily be converted to natural vegetation.  The Long Leaf Pine stand north of the Speech and Hearing Building, for example, resembles natural Long Leaf Savanna.  Such conversion would benefit biology classes and would not affect other uses of these areas.

Last Modified: November 12, 2007 8:25 AM
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