The Science and Practice of Managing Forests in Cities
June 10, 2020 | 1:00-2:15pm ET
The past few months have highlighted the importance of parks and nature in cities. Urban natural areas are critical as refugia, protecting biodiversity and mitigating the impacts of climate change all while contributing to the health and wellbeing of nearby residents. However, natural areas are threatened by development as city populations grow, and are susceptible to invasive plants and fragmentation all of which can lead to a decline in forest health and the benefits they can provide. In this webinar, Sarah Charlop-Powers and Dr. Clara Pregitzer of the Natural Areas Conservancy will introduce the challenges and opportunities of managing forests in cities, including 25 case studies from 12 cities across the U.S., and Forest Service research ecologist Dr. Rich Hallett will present a silvicultural framework for assessment and management of forests in cities, adapted from rural forest management practice. Together, the team will introduce viewers to a new collaborative network of cities and share successful strategies from across the nation.
Presentations
Sarah Charlop-Powers
Executive Director
Natural Areas Conservancy
Clara Pregitzer
Conservation Scientist
Natural Areas Conservancy
Rich Hallett
Research Ecologist
USDA Forest Service
Resources
Resources Mentioned in the Webinar
Untapped Common Ground: The Care of Forested Natural Areas in American Cities. In 2018, the Natural Areas Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land, and the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies completed the first ever survey of organizations that manage the nation’s urban forested natural areas, hearing from representatives from 125 organizations, in 111 cities, across 40 states. This report describes the state of urban natural areas management across the U.S.
CATE Special Issue: The Science and Practice of Managing Forests in Cities. This compendium in the journal Cities and The Environment (CATE) has a description of the Forests in Cities workshop, its themes, as well as 25 case studies from 12 cities across the US.
US Forest Service Resources
Social-ecological research in urban natural areas: An emergent process for integration.
This research paper examines and integrates parallel social and ecological assessments of natural areas within New York City.
A city-scale assessment reveals that native forest types and overstory species dominate in New York City forests.
This research paper assesses urban forests at the city-scale and deliberately omits sampling trees existing outside of forest stands (that are enumerated in citywide canopy assessments) to better understand the composition of New York City’s forested natural areas.