Climate change affecting Christmas tree supply: expert

If you’re finding it difficult to get hold of a fresh Christmas tree this year, shortages can be in part due to climate change, a forestry expert from the University of British Columbia (UBC) says.

Strains on Christmas tree supply have been “building steadily” over the past few years, according to the Head of the Forest Conservation Sciences Department at UBC, Richard Hamelin.


“What really hurts Christmas tree production is when you have consecutive droughts, as we have had the last two years, combined with freak weather events like the heat dome,” he said.

“This is particularly hard on the small trees, the seedlings. Pests and diseases have also been a big problem and they can be favoured by climate change. Trees that are weakened by stress due to heat and flood are more susceptible to diseases.”

Related Stories: 

Hamelin adds that seedlings have shallow roots that don’t reach beyond the surface dry layers of soil, while older trees could survive but turn brown or lose their needles. Those shallow roots, he says, also led to many seedlings being washed away during last fall’s extensive flooding that hit southwestern B.C.

Trees take eight to 12 years to reach the size most people look for, and young seedlings are particularly vulnerable to climate risks, Hameline says.

Meanwhile, Hamelin says older trees may survive but lose their needles or turn brown as a result of extreme heat and drought.

Related Video: 

He points to some options that could help Christmas tree farmers weather the effects of global heating.

These include genetically selecting and breeding the strongest trees among classic Canadian species, or importing different species of fir trees from parts of the world where they’re better adapted to sweltering heat.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today