Diverse Growth: Exploring Symbiotic Tree-Human Relationships in Landscape Ecosystems to Inspire Diversity in Urban Tree Plantings at Civic Center Park in Fargo, North Dakota

Abstract

Trees and humans have a symbiotic relationship, trees provide beauty, protection, and economic gains for humans and we take care of them to live fruitful lives. They can often have multiple humans or even animal caretakers to help sustain the environment around them. Much like humans, trees have uncontrollable pandemics causing death in trees. Chestnut Blight of the turn into the twentieth century, Dutch Elm Disease in the mid to late century and more recently the rapid spread of Emerald Ash Borer currently devastating North America. These pandemics create gaps in canopies leading to lower heating and cooling efficiency, and lesser aesthetics in urban environments. After years of study there are now guidelines of how to create a diverse and sustainable ecosystem. While it may be impossible to predict what species will be in nature’s cross-hairs next, through sustainable diversity we can hedge our bets to lessen the effects tree of pandemics to protect our urban and even natural ecosystems. Diverse Growth is a landscape initiative to introduce northern native tree species to Fargo in the form of an educational landscape arboretum and urban farm initiative that builds on ideas already accepted by the greater community and natural environment alike.