Southern Nevada at risk of losing tree shade to extreme heat

Southern Nevada is at risk of losing the few trees it has due to extreme heat, a loss that would only exacerbate how unevenly protective tree shade is distributed across communities in one of the fastest-warming metros in the nation.

As climate change disruption continues at a faster pace than predicted by climate scientists, the region’s little canopy coverage is at risk, said Southern Nevada Water Authority Director of Resources Zane Marshall. 

You only need to look outside to see wilted trees that once tolerated the Southern Nevada summers. 

Several years ago the water authority examined global climate models to project what climate conditions would be like for Southern Nevada in the next century. The agency found that 16% of the 100 most common tree species in the Las Vegas Valley would exceed their heat tolerance by 2025, meaning those trees would not survive climate change. 

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