South Australia has faced unprecedented high temperatures and significantly reduced rainfall over the past six to 12 months, with these extreme weather conditions severely affecting native vegetation and urban streetscapes.
As the state continues to battle relentless drought and record-breaking temperatures, the toll on Adelaide’s iconic tree-lined streets is becoming impossible to ignore. Struggling with the heat and deprived of water, the trees that provide shade to our suburbs and help cool the city are showing concerning signs of decline.
Now, a local research team is stepping in with a bold new plan to turn things around and residents are being urged to report dying trees.
Leading the charge is Professor Huade Guan from Flinders University’s National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training. Alongside a team of scientists and collaborators, Professor Guan is mapping the health of Adelaide’s urban trees, identifying dieback hotspots and exploring how climate change is reshaping our green spaces.
“The last six months have delivered just a third of the rainfall we’d normally expect,” explains Professor Guan.
“That kind of stress can tip even mature, established trees into a slow decline.”
To get a better handle on what’s happening across the metro area, the team is turning to the public for help. Locals are encouraged to log any struggling trees they spot via a simple online survey, with each report feeding into a city-wide study on tree health and resilience.
It’s part of a wider collaboration under the Hort Innovation Green Cities Program, which brings together councils including Marion, Mitcham, Unley, Onkaparinga, and Port Adelaide Enfield, as well as experts from UniSA, Water Sensitive SA, TREENET, Resilience South, and Space Down Under.
One solution being explored is clever in its simplicity, capturing stormwater from homes and redirecting it into the soil to hydrate street trees, especially during Adelaide’s long, dry summers.
“In summer, trees act like natural air conditioners,” says Professor Guan.
“They use solar energy to cool their surroundings through evaporation. Keeping them healthy means cooler streets, lower energy bills, and more liveable suburbs.”
The research ties into the Metropolitan Adelaide Urban Greening Strategy, which aims to boost the city’s tree canopy from 17% to 30% over the next five years, a goal that’s growing in urgency as the mercury climbs.
Hands-on fieldwork is already underway, with Flinders researchers installing sensors to monitor how trees respond to moisture in the soil. These real-time insights could reshape how councils manage greenery in a changing climate.
Ultimately, this isn’t about data; it’s about securing the future of Adelaide’s leafy boulevards. With community input and cutting-edge science working hand in hand, the city has a chance to protect its precious urban forest for the generations ahead.
To access the survey, click here.
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