Trees, Salt Tolerance and Dunes

Trees provide many environmental benefits including habitat for wildlife, soil stabilization, shade, and removing pollution from the air.  Due to the effects from coastal flooding, king tides and sea level rise, non-salt tolerant trees are being negatively impacted with greater frequency leading directly to a loss of environmental benefits. In Fort Lauderdale, trees play a major role in urban forest sustainability and dune stabilization. As such, Fort Lauderdale is utilizing a more salt tolerant tree palette to enhance the resiliency of its trees; species such as Seagrape, Pitch Apple, Green and Silver Buttonwood and Gumbo Limbo do very well in dune/high salt environments, helping protect our shorelines from tidal events and storm surges. Incorporating more salt tolerant trees throughout the City's urban forest will continue to increase its sustainability and resiliency in the face of ongoing environmental challenges. To learn more about salt tolerant trees and the dune environment, please visit the websites below:

Image used courtesy of Broward County.

Image used courtesy of Land and Sea Marine

https://floridadep.gov/water/beaches
http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/design/landscaping-for-specific-sites/coastal-landscape.html

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs141p2_014913.pdf