Pacific Southwest Research Station

Research Topics Urban Forestry

Tree Demography and Monitoring

Demographic Trends in Claremont California's Street Tree Population Reveal Ways to Improve Urban Forest Resiliency

Mature camphor trees (Cinnamomum camphora) line a street in Claremont, California. (U.S. Forest Service/E. Greg McPherson)

Urban forests can provide many important ecological functions and economic benefits, but continuous delivery of those services depends on the long-term health and resilience of the population.

The demographic analysis conducted in this study (i.e., quantifying mortality, growth, and replacement rates) can provide insights into current and future vulnerabilities of the population and help focus management efforts.

By sampling individual tree sites in 2000 and 2014, research urban ecologist Natalie van Doorn and research forester Greg McPherson quantified all three demographic components in Claremont, CA to gain a complete perspective of the state of the city’s street tree population and assess drivers of change.

Study: Demographic Trends in Claremont California's Street Tree Population

Community resources:
Urban Tree Monitoring