New study: Mitigating hurricane damage in pecan
Pecan orchards are a vital part of southern Georgia’s working landscapes, but recent hurricanes have caused severe losses to growers. In a post-storm field study, our lab surveyed over 1,100 trees across 11 orchards following Hurricane Idalia to understand patterns of wind damage. We found that intermediate-sized trees were most vulnerable and that orchard age structure plays a key role in storm resilience. These findings provide a foundation for climate-smart practices that can reduce risk and improve long-term sustainability.
New grant aims to mitigate hurricane risk to pecan orchards
In a new grant funded by the Natural Resources Conservation service, the Landscape Ecology lab will collaborate with UGA pecan expert Dr. Lenny Wells to address concerns of pecan growers state-wide. Following widespread hurricane damage in the region, this project aims to understand the major drivers of hurricane damage, and make recommendations for hurricane preparedness.