Are More Trees Dying in Georgia?
In an article from Trees Atlanta, it’s has recently been reported that currently Georgia is one of the leaders in tree loss in the nation. Some experts have started investigating what exactly is damaging Georgia trees? We ourselves have seen an increase in insect infestations and tree death from drought conditions.
“According to a recent study released by the U.S. Forest Service, Georgia is losing more trees than any other state in the nation. It is losing an average of 18,000 acres of trees per year.”
In total, Georgia has more than 24 million acres of productive forestland. This is 65% of the state’s total land area. Our state has a diverse mix of hardwood and softwood species such as loblolly/longleaf pine, white oak, red oak, sweetgum and more. The most common tree death we see in Marietta, Woodstock, Roswell and East Cobb is pine and oak. Partly this is due to beetle infestations or fungal infections.
The southern pine beetle, which is not much bigger than a gnat, can kill living Georgia trees. Favored hosts include the yellow and white pines. Unfortunately, during drought conditions, trees do not receive enough water to perform their normal life cycle process, i.e. photosynthesis. The tree drought response then includes leaf wilting, early leaf fall, shutting down roots, and changing chemical process within the tree. Every year it seems to get worse, and sadly, once a few trees start dying, the number of infested trees may continue to grow within a forest or neighborhood. Many times we get calls for several trees in a group that have died. It’s important to remove these as soon as possible before they spread to other live trees.
If you would like to see if your pines are dying due to beetle infestation or drought and need to be removed, give Axemen Tree Services a call at 470-881-0999. Over 100 5 Star Google Reviews for Woodstock, Marietta, Roswell and East Cobb Tree Removal Services.