Urban forest sustainability in the United States (original) (raw)
Related papers
Sustaining America's urban trees and forests: a Forests on the Edge report
2010
Close to 80 percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas and depends on the essential ecological, economic, and social benefi ts provided by urban trees and forests. However, the distribution of urban tree cover and the benefi ts of urban forests vary across the United States, as do the challenges of sustaining this important resource. As urban areas expand across the country, the importance of the benefi ts that urban forests provide, as well as the challenges to their conservation and maintenance, will increase. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the current status and benefi ts of America's urban forests, compare differences in urban forest canopy cover among regions, and discuss challenges facing urban forests and their implications for urban forest management.
Assessing the US Urban Forest Resources
2001
Urbanareas intheconterminous United States doubled insize between 1969 and1994, and community wall-being, provideawide •, currently cover 3.5percent ofthetotal land area andcontain more than75percentof theUS range of services to individuals and population. Urban areascontain approximately 3.8billion treeswithanaverage treecanopy communities, and produce a more c_ver_f27percent_Theextentandvariati_n_furbanf_restsacr_ssthe48statesareexp__red healthful and comfortableenvirontohelp build abetter understanding ofthissignificant national resource. Urbanization and ment for mostAmericans. Knowledge urban forests arelikelyto beasignificant focus offorestry inthe21st century, of the current and potential significance of urban forests is expanding Keywords:inventory; urban forestry rapidly as research continues to document the important role urban forests can play in improving the quality of uman population is having an and other associated resources within life. Urban residents will look to urban ever-increasingimpact on the urban areas) are characterized by the forests and associated management local, regional, and global en-integration of natural resources with programs for an increasing number of vironments. This impact is particularly human developments (Nowak 1994a). benefits in the years ahead. significant in urban areas, where con-In these situations, vegetation often has Through appropriate planning, decentrations of people fragment and substantial environmental, social, and transform natural resources, resulting economic values. Above: Urban forests are ecosystems comin large-scale environmental conse-Urban forests can improve environ-posed ofinteractive anthropogenic andnatural quences. Urban forests (i.e., all trees mental quality,enhance individual and systems.
Future directions for urban forestry research in the United States
Journal of Arboriculture, 2002
Urban forestry research promises to continue to be an integral part of the growth and development of forestry in urban and urbanizing areas of the United States. The future is expected to bring increased enlphasis on research in support of the care of trees and other plants, ecological restoration, and conlprehensive and adaptive management across the landscape. Particular emphasis will be needed on research to guide inlprovements in urban forest health; ecological restoratio~l techniques; resource inventory and monitoring; dialogue aniong forest resource owners, managers, and uses; collaboration among agencies and groups; how forest configurations in-:* &-iz ment, and survival, have led to significant advances in N g the field of arboriculture. These advancements include % G~ a wide range of practices that help to inlprove tree sel-N & * '3 ection, planting, growth, maintenance, and protection. F G h q g Maintaining tree health is beconling more important $ + than trying to remedy symptonls of poor tree health. a. se (Harris 1983; Lloyd 1997). As more attention is given to-. tj: trees in diverse environmelits throughout the urban $ system, important challenges emerge for sustaining tree s p health (i.e., limited rooting space, soil conipaction, tree t fluence forest use and benefits; and dissenlination of darnage, air pollution, etc.). iilfornlation about urban forests and their management.
Connecting People With Ecosystems In the 21st Century: An Assessment of Our Nation's Urban Forests
Notes, 2000
Connecting people with ecosystems in the 21st century: an assessment of our nation's urban forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-490. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 483 p. Urban areas (cities, towns, villages, etc.) cover 3.5 percent of the 48 conterminous states and contain more than 75 percent of the population. In urban areas, about 3.8 billion trees cover 27.1 percent of the land. On a broader scale, metropolitan areas (urban counties) cover 24.5 percent of the conterminous United States and contain 74.4 billion trees that cover 33.4 percent of these counties. Between 1950 and 1990, metropolitan areas nearly tripled in size; urban areas doubled in size over the past 20 to 25 years. This report is the first national assessment of urban forest resources in the United States and details variations in urbanization and urban tree cover across the United States by state, county, and individual urban area. It illustrates local-scale variation, complexity, and connectedness of the urban forest resource and how this resource changes through time in response to a wide range of powerful forces. The report concludes by outlining future areas of emphasis that will facilitate comprehensive, adaptive, and sustainable urban forest management and improve environmental quality, enhance human health, and connect people with ecosystems in the 21 st century.
Declining urban and community tree cover in the United States
Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
Paired aerial photographs were interpreted to assess recent changes (c. 2009-2014) in tree, impervious and other cover types within urban/community and urban land in all 50 United States and the District of Columbia. National results indicate that tree cover in urban/community areas of the United States is on the decline at a rate of about 175,000 acres per year, which corresponds to approximately 36 million trees per year. Estimated loss of benefits from trees in urban areas is conservatively valued at $96 million per year. Overall, for both urban and the broader urban/community areas, 23 states/districts had statistically significant declines in tree cover, 25 states had non-significant decreases or no change in tree cover, and three states showed a non-significant increase in tree cover. The most intensive change occurred within urban areas, with tree cover in these areas dropping one percent over the 5-year period, compared to a 0.7 percent drop in urban/community areas. States/ districts with the greatest statistically significant annual decline in percent urban tree cover were: Oklahoma (−0.92%/yr), District of Columbia (−0.44%/yr), Rhode Island (−0.40%/yr), Oregon (−0.38%/yr) and Georgia (−0.37%/yr). Coinciding with the loss of tree cover was a gain in impervious cover, with impervious cover increasing 0.6 percent in urban/community areas and 1.0 percent in urban areas over the 5-year period. Such changes in cover types affect the benefits derived from urban forests and consequently the health and wellbeing of urban residents.
2000
Connecting people with ecosystems in the 21st century: an assessment of our nation's urban forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-490. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 483 p. Urban areas (cities, towns, villages, etc.) cover 3.5 percent of the 48 conterminous states and contain more than 75 percent of the population. In urban areas, about 3.8 billion trees cover 27.1 percent of the land. On a broader scale, metropolitan areas (urban counties) cover 24.5 percent of the conterminous United States and contain 74.4 billion trees that cover 33.4 percent of these counties. Between 1950 and 1990, metropolitan areas nearly tripled in size; urban areas doubled in size over the past 20 to 25 years. This report is the first national assessment of urban forest resources in the United States and details variations in urbanization and urban tree cover across the United States by state, county, and individual urban area. It illustrates local-scale variation, complexity, and connectedness of the urban forest resource and how this resource changes through time in response to a wide range of powerful forces. The report concludes by outlining future areas of emphasis that will facilitate comprehensive, adaptive, and sustainable urban forest management and improve environmental quality, enhance human health, and connect people with ecosystems in the 21 st century.
Understanding the Benefits and Costs of Urban Forest Ecosystems
Urban and community forestry in the northeast, 2007
One of the first considerations in developing a strong and comprehensive urban forestry program is determining the desired outcomes from managing and maintaining vegetation in cities. Urban trees offer a wide range of potential benefits to the urban environment and society. However, there also are a wide range of potential costs and, as with all ecosystems, numerous interactions that must be understood if society is to optimize the net benefits from urban vegetation. Inadequate understanding of the wide range of benefits, costs, and expected outcomes of urban vegetation management designs and plans, as well as interactions among them, may drastically reduce the contribution of vegetation toward improving urban life and the environment. By altering the type and arrangement of trees in a city (i.e., the urban forest structure), one can directly and indirectly affect the city's physical, biological, and socioeconomic environments. Management plans can be developed and implemented to address specific problems within cities. Though trees can provide mUltiple benefits at one site, not all benefits can be realized in each location. Individual management plans should focus on optimizing the mix of benefits that are most important in a particular area. 2. Physical-Biological Benefits and Costs of Urban Vegetation Through proper planning, designing, and management, urban trees can mitigate many of the environmental impacts of urban development by moderating climate, reducing building energy use and atmospheric carbon dioxide (C0 2), improving air quality, lowering rain
US Urban Forest Statistics, Values, and Projections
Journal of Forestry
U.S. urban land increased from 2.6% (57.9 million acres) in 2000 to 3.0% (68.0 million acres) in 2010. States with the greatest amount of urban growth were in the South/Southeast (TX, FL, NC, GA and SC). Between 2010 and 2060, urban land is projected to increase another 95.5 million acres to 163.1 million acres (8.6%) with 18 states projected to have an increase of over 2 million acres. Overall, there are an estimated 5.5 billion trees (39.4% tree cover) in urban areas nationally that contain 127 million acres of leaf area and 44 million tons of dry-weight leaf biomass.
Urban Forest Health Monitoring In the United States
… IN THE WESTERN …, 2006
People are having an ever-increasing impact on local, regional, and global environments, particularly in and around urban areas (cities, towns, villages). Urban forests (trees in urban areas) can mitigate certain detrimental human impacts and improve environmental quality and human health. Urban forests help provide clean air and water, reduce building energy use, store carbon, protect against ultraviolet radiation, and cool air temperatures. They also provide forest-based products, recreation opportunities, habitat for wildlife, aesthetic enjoyment, and enhance the social and psychological well-being of millions of Americans. This valuable national resource will continue to increase in extent and importance in the years ahead, yet faces numerous pressures such as insects, diseases, storms, and pollution that affect forest health and related benefits.
Quantifying urban forest structure, function, and value: the Chicago Urban Forest Climate Project
1997
This paper is a review of research in Chicago that linked analyses of vegetation structure with forest functions and values. During 1991, the region's trees removed an estimated 5575 metric tons of air pollutants, providing air cleansing worth 9.2million.Eachyeartheysequesteranestimated315800metrictonsofcarbon.Increasingtreecover109.2 million. Each year they sequester an estimated 315 800 metric tons of carbon. Increasing tree cover 10% or planting about three trees per building lot saves annual heating and cooling costs by an estimated 9.2million.Eachyeartheysequesteranestimated315800metrictonsofcarbon.Increasingtreecover1050 to 90perdwellingunitbecauseofincreasedshade,lowersummertimeairtemperatures,andreducedneighborhoodwindspeedsoncethetreesmature.Thenetpresentvalueoftheservicestreesprovideisestimatedas90 per dwelling unit because of increased shade, lower summertime air temperatures, and reduced neighborhood wind speeds once the trees mature. The net present value of the services trees provide is estimated as 90perdwellingunitbecauseofincreasedshade,lowersummertimeairtemperatures,andreducedneighborhoodwindspeedsoncethetreesmature.Thenetpresentvalueoftheservicestreesprovideisestimatedas402 per planted tree. The present value of long-term benefits is more than twice the present value of costs.