The effects of climate change are taking a toll on Christmas tree farms in British Columbia and beyond, with one forestry expert saying the sector that's already shrinking and shifting will need to adapt in the coming years.
The trees take eight to 12 years to reach the size most people are looking for, and young seedlings are particularly vulnerable to climate risks, said Richard Hamelin, head of the forest conservation sciences department at the University of B.C.
The severe atmospheric rivers last fall and the so-called heat dome of 2021 that saw Lytton, B.C., break the all-time record for highest daily temperature ever recorded in Canada have both been linked to the effects of climate change. "Just like humans, when we are stressed or when we're more tired, we're more susceptible to diseases," said Hamelin. "Well, trees are the same way. So all this added stress from all this heat and flooding make the trees more susceptible to pests and pathogens."
The closures continued, with Statistics Canada data showing the total area of Christmas tree farms shrunk by nearly 20,000 acres between 2011 and 2021. Rather than opening for just six weeks in the winter, farms can look at diversifying their operations to grow crops like lavender, host activities such as yoga retreats or incorporate pumpkin picking as Brennan's own farm has done, she said.
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