Southern Urban and Interface Forests - What's New

Over the past decade the Morton Arboretum has developed an intensive urban soils research program and  a wealth of information investigating the soils relationship to tree growth and health.  They are also a participant in the Urban Tree Growth & Longevity working group, and have an on-line curriculum for soils:  Introduction to Soil Science.

A summary Bryant Scharenbroch's latest research on improving urban soils with compost and hardwood mulch is here: "The Right Stuff", or  "Compaction and Remediation of Urban Dirt".

Recent publication of ANSI standards and BMPs for urban tree risk management makes it imperative that the profession change and adapt.

Urban Tree Risk Management: A Community Guide to Program. Design and Implementation, NA-TP-03-03, J.D. Pokorny (Coordinating Author), 2003 [http://1.usa.gov/OHL8QV]

ANSI A300 (Part 9) Tree Risk Assessment a. Tree Structure Assessment, TCIA, 2011 [http://bit.ly/U904tl]

Best Management Practices: Tree Risk Assessment, E.T. Smiley, N. Matheny, and S. Lilly, International Society of Arboriculture, 2012 [http://bit.ly/PMCimI]

Example Tree Risk Specifications for Municipalities and Arborists

Even an arborist can develop apps for Android smart-devices with this on-line site developed and hosted by MIT.

A Google account and a quick setup on Mac or Windows will get you started.  Use the on-line tutorials and forum to jump-start your creativity.

The website for Urban Forestry South (southern region's technology transfer center) has been rebuilt from the ground up.  New content will appear daily as we catch up following our transition.

Much of the site will look familiar but you'll now have a more active site with current blog and Twitter feeds related to the technology of trees.

In this issue of our quarterly bulletin, titled Leaves of Change, you will learn about a collaborative project that is creating a scientific framework for the ecological assessment and sustainable management of the Tampa Bay watershed’s trees and forested ecosystems along the urban-wildland continuum. You will also learn about the Centers’ recent training and outreach activities, recommended resources, and upcoming events related to urban and interface forestry.

El Yunque National Forest, located in eastern Puerto Rico, provides a variety of ecosystem services—including clean air, water, and recreation—that are essential to the well-being of people in communities surrounding the forest and beyond. Rapid changes in urban and built-up areas in eastern Puerto Rico have put El Yunque under high pressure for urban development. These changes can alter forest processes and functions, and thus the services provided by the forest. Zoning regulations for guiding urban expansion and minimizing its effects on the forest have had limited success; much of the urban expansion during the past decades has occurred within zoning districts where urban uses were not originally planned. This limited success has resulted from poor enforcement of zoning regulations; it could also be a result of the implementation of top-down models of land use and resource management that often excludes people at different levels, such as local communities and other stakeholders.

To begin to address these issues, we developed a study that incorporated the views and perspectives of different stakeholders regarding the ecosystem services provided by El Yunque. We developed a methodology that integrates different research methods and participatory techniques. The techniques can help natural resource managers, specialists, and researchers of other national and state forests better understand peoples’ knowledge and awareness of ecosystem services and the factors affecting these services. The techniques and the products resulting from them can be used to assist in the management and planning of land use, ecosystem services, and natural resources in general.

To learn more about this project click here.

To read the latest issue of our Leaves of Change newsletter that focused on this project click here.

Remember the feeling of wind brushing against your cheek or the momentary gasp as your boot slid on a big, slippery rock? Or, what about trees bursting with brilliant fall colors or the chirp, hoot and rustle in the woods that made you ask, ‘Who’s there?’ For many adults these memories are the stuff of their American childhood – rites of passage recalled with great affection and humor. For many, these experiences form the basis of a lifetime of enjoyment and caring for America’s great outdoors. That’s why the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) wants to help make playing in nature outdoors fun for kids again.

Since 1905, USFS has prided itself on educating the public about the Nation’s natural resources, including the 193 million acres of forests and grasslands it manages. Today that legacy continues as the Forest Service’s Conservation Education Office supports a wide variety of programs directed at pre-K to 12th grade students, their parents and educators. Programs draw from work performed by Agency experts who provide guidance in science, land management and recreation, which serves as the foundation for environmental literacy efforts. USFS also promotes partnerships with organizations that support its mission.

Read the full article and learn more about the Forest Service’s educational programs by clicking here.

To view archived InterfaceSouth Posts click here. 
 

Scott Bagley, Program Director of the National Network of Forest Practitioners will give a webinar session on Forest Cooperatives. Join us for this one-hour session that will:

• highlight examples of how cooperatives are bringing more landowners into forestry, coordinating cross-boundary projects to enable treatment of small-acreage parcels, and maintaining stewardship continuity across generations.

• share information about the progress of a national roundtable of forest cooperative leaders who are working together to share lessons learned.

• describe how cooperatives are facilitating peer-to-peer learning, assisting landowners with climate change adaptation, and exploring ways to sustainably aggregate biomass.

• describe how cooperatives and other conservation and natural resources professionals can work together to conserve working forests and re-weave forested landscapes parcel by parcel.

The Arbor Day Foundation’s Backyard Woods program is designed to assist landowners in conserving, beautifying, and utilizing their small woodland plot. The program’s guide book includes detailed fact sheets on topics such as planning, wildfire protection, tree care, forest products, and wildlife. The “Backyard Woods: Bring You Vision to Life” guidebook is available for free download online in PDF, or a print copy can be ordered from the Arbor Day Foundation for $4.95 and includes a CD-ROM with twelve tip sheets. The Backyard Woods program is ideal for landowners with one to ten acres.

To learn more about the Backyard Woods program visit:
http://www.arborday.org/backyardwoods/index.cfm

To view or order the “Backyard Woods: Bring Your Vision to Life” guidebook visit:
http://www.arborday.org/backyardwoods/guide.cfm

PollinatorLIVE is offering a free web seminar for teachers, administrators, and others on “Student Achievement and Outdoor Education” on Tuesday, October 12 from 3 to 4 p.m. through the National School Boards Association. For information, go to http://pollinatorlive.pwnet.org/teacher/seminars.php and to register go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/StudentAchievementOutdoorEducation.

This is an online web seminar presenting information about the positive impact that outdoor learning has on student achievement. Lifestyle changes over the past decade have had a profound affect on student health, activities, habits, and interests. School administrators, teachers, parents, and public health officials are growing increasingly concerned at the rising incidences of childhood obesity, juvenile diabetes, and related health problems. In contrast, the statistics about young people learning in the outdoors are very positive. George Mason University Assistant Professor Laurie Harmon, USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Program Specialist Mike Rizo, and Washington, D.C. Principal Dr. Grace Reid will present information on the benefits of gardening and outdoor education.