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- Info
Connecting people with ecosystems in the 21st century: An assessment of our nation's urban forests
| Author: |
Dwyer, John F.; Nowak, David J.; Noble, Mary Heather; Sisinni, Susan M. |
| Date: |
2000 |
| Periodical: |
Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-490. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station |
| Abstract: |
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 21st century. As urban development continues to expand over the landscape, the relation between urban growth, urban influence, and natural resource systems will become increasingly important. Many cities, particularly in the Southeastern United States, are surrounded by forest land. The expansion of these cities likely will have a significant impact on the extent, use, and management of forest resources. As urbanization spreads into less developed rural areas, a growing percentage of the Nation's natural resources will become part of urban forest ecosystems, and increasing amounts of forest outside these systems also will be subject to urban influence. |
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