Culver City Parks Task 8.1 Final Plan - Flipbook - Page 142
For the optimal functioning of an urban forest, it is
important to have young, mature, and senescent
trees. Currently, Culver City’s urban forest is lacking
in young trees as most of the canopy trees were
planted between the 1940s-60s.50 To achieve a
more resilient urban forest, the Urban Forest Master
Plan recommends that Culver City increase the
amount of young trees by a minimum of 20%.51
This will help achieve chronodiversity among the
tree canopy, which is defined as the condition
of temporal richness in a particular habitat or
ecosystem and the existence of species of various
life strategies and life spans and specimens of
various ages.52
Monocultures of tree species should be avoided
to promote resilience in the urban forest
and alternative species can be considered as
opportunities to plant or replant trees arise. This is
also critical for urban forest resilience when disease
or pests target a specific species. Tree planting
that will add to Culver City’s existing urban forest
can be phased in and planted alongside mature
specimens so that a growth will already be in place
as older trees reach the end of their lifespans.
Appropriate tree protection techniques should
be used to protect existing mature tree specimens
during new planting and construction.
While some native species, such as Quercus agrifolia
(coast live oak) and Heteromeles arbutifolia (toyon)
are found in Culver City parks, they are primarily
concentrated in Culver City Park. Other parks could
add these species, along with other native canopy
species such as Platanus racemosa (western
sycamore), Juglans californica (California walnut),
and Quercus lobata (valley oak). Additional climate
adapted canopy tree species can be considered to
provide shade and drought tolerance, along with
encouraging more tree biodiversity in parks.53
Both upland species and riparian species can be
selected based on the existing and constructed
contexts of a project. Generally, the upland species
perform better on slopes in fast draining soils, while
riparian species require more access to water and
can tolerate periodic inundation. Given these
characteristics, many riparian species perform well
under future climate trends of intense periods
of both drought and severe floods in Southern
California. Climate adapted tree species are
great options for streetscape and intense urban
conditions that are often exposed to more heat,
pollution, and compacted soils than are suitable
for native species.
What is Chronodiversity in the Urban Forest?
Chronodiversity in the urban forest
means having an even distribution
of trees of all ages and of varying
lifespans.
CULVER CITY
CAN INCREASE
ITS AMOUNT OF
YOUNG TREES BY
20%
Figure 133. Chronodiversity contributes to a resilient urban
forest. Source: Farmer, Jared. “Ancient Trees in a Modern World.”
Sempervirens Fund, April 4, 2023. https://sempervirens.org/news/
ancient-trees-in-a-modern-world/.
Figure 134. (Right) Quercus agrifolia. Source: Stickpen, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9944130.
Figure 135. (Right) Juglans californica. Source: Consultaplantas, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44978241.
Figure 136. (Right) Quercus tomentella. Source: Bri Weldon, Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden, Claremont, California, 2011. https://www.flickr.
com/photos/41184028@N04/5169050090/.
Figure 137. (Right) Platanus racemosa. Source: Raffi Kojian, http://www.gardenology.org, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.
php?curid=9705655.
Figure 138. (Right) Populus fremontii. Source: CK Kelly, https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/10765354.
Figure 139. (Right) Alnus rhombifolia. Source: Mitch Barrie, Costa Mesa, CA, 2010. CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alnus_
rhombifolia_San_Gabriel_River.jpg.
Figure 140. (Right) Metrosideros excelsa. Source: weta2000nz, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/weta2000nz/45696079285.
Figure 141. (Right) Brachychiton populneus. Source: Leonora (Ellie) Enking, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/33037982@N04/5242446150.
Figure 142. (Right) Tipuana tipu. Source: Daniel Ventura, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2246165.
142 THE PLAN // SYSTEM SCALE
