TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2008
Trees: The Newest "Must-Have" for Cities
A few decades ago, cities focused on growth and expansion. But increasingly, they see trees as something they must preserve and plant.
To assess the tree health of a city, it helps to look at satellite shots that show the "tree canopy." The group
"American Forests" recommends an average 40 percent tree canopy east of the
Mississippi River and in the Pacific Northwest.
But by every count available, urban forests are declining. American Forests says:
In 1986, the National Urban Forest Council (NUFC) conducted a survey
to understand the condition of the nation's street trees, based on a
20-city survey. The first, "State of Our City Forests" (American
Forests Magazine, June 1986) reported that urban forests in those
cities were in decline, with the average city losing 4 trees for every
one planted. ...
In 1991, American Forests (formerly known as the American Forestry
Association) conducted a follow-up survey of 20 cities. The findings
revealed the continued decline of city street trees, including the
alarming statistic that the average life of a downtown street tree is
just 13 years.
USA Today reports:
"People used to overlook trees in cities," said
(Fiona Watt, chief of forestry and horticulture for the New York Department of Parks and Recreation). "They're now viewed as increasingly important because of the work
of scientists who've helped us quantify those benefits. The
environmental benefits and property value benefits are quantifiable,
but the social ones are harder. They make us feel good, they improve
our moods, they make neighborhoods more beautiful.
"Tree canopies can make neighborhoods more
cohesive and bring people together, bonding them over this common
resource," she said.
The fruit of the team's work may not be visible
yet, but it will be eventually. In the world of forestry, there's an
old proverb: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The
next-best time is today."
Local Reports
American Forests has
summaries of urban ecosystems for many cities around the country:
- Palm Beach County, Fla. (July 2007)
- Flower Mound, Texas (Nov. 2006)
- Detroit and Southeast Michigan (May 2006)
- Jacksonville, Fla. (March 2005)
- Montgomery, Ala. (July 2004)
- San Antonio (August 2003)
- San Diego (July 2003)
- San Diego Report details (July 2003)
- Buffalo, N.Y. (June 2003)
- Delaware Valley region / Philadelphia (March, 2003)
- Mecklenburg County, N.C. (March, 2003)
- Knox County, Tenn. (Dec. 2002)
- San Antonio (Nov. 2002)
- Atlanta, Ga. (Oct. 2002)
- Fayetteville, Ark. (Sept. 2002)
- Roswell, Ga. (Aug., 2002)
- New Orleans (Aug., 2002)
- Roanoke, Va. (June 2002)
- Charlottesville, Va. / Harrisburg, Pa. (February, 2002)
- Washington, D.C. Metro Area (February, 2002)
- Willamette/Lower Columbia Region of Northwestern Oregon and Southwestern Washington State (October, 2001)
- Atlanta (August, 2001)
- Front Range, Colorado (April, 2001)
- Houston (Dec. 2000)
- Forest Park, Ga. (July 2000)
- Union City, Ga. (July 2000)
- Garland, Texas (July 2000)
- Chesapeake Bay region (March 1999)
- Puget Sound region (July 1998)
- Washington, D.C. (Nov. 1999)
- Chattanooga, Tenn. (Aug. 1999)
- Roanoke, Va. (July 1999)
- Canton-Akron, Ohio (Feb. 1999)
More resources and articles
Posted at 1:42:22 AM
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