According to a survey, 80% of the trees in Jesús María are in good phytosanitary condition

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INTA Jesús María delivered to the municipality of this city a master plan on urban trees that showed statistical data on the current state of the specimens and provided recommendations on how to regulate them normatively and zone their placement.

The first stage of the survey covered a little more than half of the city and there it was detected that there are just over 14,300 specimens, of which 80 percent are in good phytosanitary condition, with a correct inclination, and almost without cupping.

All this data was geolocated through the adaptation that the municipal systems team made to an Environment area tool of the Government of Córdoba and the IDECOR maps.

In a later stage, the heat islands within the city and their relationship with parameters that were surveyed will be determined, through a master’s thesis work to be carried out by a student from the National Technological University (UTN).

Among the problems found, the most relevant is that 2,200 empty pots were found, that is, places in the city where there are no trees, although there should be.

Also that there are around 1,200 specimens that measure more than seven meters in height and almost 500 specimens that are more than ten meters in height, with all the difficulties that they pose for their maintenance, pruning, or extraction in the case in which they endanger the urban area.

And almost half of them do not have any type of intervention and maintenance.

A road map

Agronomist Raúl Candela, head of INTA Jesús María, was satisfied with the work carried out in conjunction with the municipality: “in this master management plan we basically recommend what species can be used according to the area where we are, and taking into account that this is a city crossed by a railroad, by a national route, by a river, and that it is in a foothills.”

“Also,” Candela added, “we recommend promoting the work of local nurseries so that the plants we recommend can be obtained here by neighbors. And we have presented a list that is not very extensive, but of people who are working and producing native and exotic plants here in the area, so that the neighbor can go and buy from them in case he needs it.”

Regarding the existing trees, it was learned that around 30% are evergreen, that there are 13% ash trees, and 8% lime trees. And percentages close to 5% of aguaribay, paradise, maple, blackberry, brachichito, and crespon. In summary, 96% of the trees are made up of exotic trees and only 4% of native trees.

To reverse this situation, the master plan foresees that, for future plantations or replacement of dead specimens, species such as Cow’s Hoof, Dog’s Lagaña, Tube Cleaner, Judea Tree, Althea or Syrian Rose, Field Peach, Crape, Plum will be planted. of ornament, Manzano de campo, or Sen del Campo.

Even where the paths are wider Acacia mimosa, Acacia floribunda, Carnaval, Catalpa, Tala, Molle, Mato, Cina Cina, Acacia rosada, Curupí or Lecherón, Quebracho colorado santiagueño, and Palo cruz.

A normative model

As part of the master plan, INTA also attached a model ordinance to regulate the city’s trees since, until today, there were only some recommendations on species for certain areas and a declaration of interest on some specimens, but not much more than that.

The regulatory project includes six chapters and interesting tools such as the public tree advisory commission, the environmental compensation fund, and the definition of the master plan itself.

And as part of the annexes, a pruning manual prepared by INTA specialists and technicians was also included that could function as a framework for future interventions.