Stewardship and Sustainability of Urban and Community Forests

Virtual presentation given to Virginia Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class on March 19, 2025.

Transcript

1. 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Stewardship and Sustainability of Urban and Community Forests 01 • 11 P. Eric Wiseman, PhD Associate Professor of Urban and Community Forestry Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation Virginia Tech vtuf@vt.edu linktr.ee/EricWiseman Source: bostonuncovered.com/spring-things-to-do
2. Presentation overview Purpose Share background on urban forests to contextualize Tree Stewards training and your contributions to community forestry • Growth of urban population and urban lands • Urban forests and why they matter • Tree canopy cover in urban areas • Sustaining urban and community forests 02 • 26 Outline Source: E. Wiseman 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025
3. Growth of urban population and urban lands 03 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Source: www.coopercenter.org/research/national-50-state-population-projections-2030-2040-2050 Source: www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/mapping-us-urbanization-by-state
4. Growth of urban population and urban lands 04 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Source: www.coopercenter.org/research/new-virginia-population-projections-2030-2050
5. 05 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 YEAR 2050 POPULATION 10,535,810 Source: www.coopercenter.org/virginia-population-projections Growth of urban population and urban lands
6. 06 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Source: vanhde.org/content/map Growth of urban population and urban lands
7. 07 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Source: research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/66413 Developed: 51% net increase 50 mil. acre gain Forest: 3% net decrease 12 mil. acre loss Growth of urban population and urban lands
8. 08 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Source: research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/64468 Growth of urban population and urban lands
9. 09 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Source: research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/64468 Growth of urban population and urban lands
10. 10 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Source: nca2023.globalchange.gov Urban Heat Island Growth of urban population and urban lands
11. 11 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Source: nca2023.globalchange.gov Growth of urban population and urban lands
12. Urban forests and why they matter 12 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Source: www.oufc.org/2021/06/05/announcing-2020-tree-cities-of-the-world Trees and associated natural resources found within an area of dense human development Source: www.whiterockcity.ca/484/Urban-Forest-Management-Plan
13. Urban forests and why they matter 13 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Source: dudek.com/californias-at-risk-urban-forests
14. Tree canopy cover in urban areas 14 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Source: www.thoughtco.com/where-us-forests-are-located-1343035 Source: Nowak, D.J., et al. (2010). US Forest Service GTR NRS-62. Forest Cover Urban Tree Canopy Cover
15. Tree canopy cover in urban areas 15 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Percent Tree Canopy Cover in Urban Areas (UTC) Source: Nowak, D.J., et al. (2010). US Forest Service GTR NRS-62. Data Source: Nowak, D. J., & Greenfield, E. J. (2018). Declining urban and community tree cover in the United States. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 32, 32-55. National UTC Average: 39.4%
16. Tree canopy cover in urban areas 16 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Source: Nowak, D. et al. (2022). Assessing Urban Forest Threats across the Conterminous United States. Journal of Forestry. 120(6): 676-692. Urban Tree Cover Change Index, 2010-2060
17. Tree canopy cover in urban areas 17 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Source: www.mrlc.gov/viewer National Land Cover Database – Land Cover Change in 2023
18. Tree canopy cover in urban areas 18 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Source: treecanopy.us
19. Tree canopy cover in urban areas 19 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Source: treecanopy.us
20. Tree canopy cover in urban areas 20 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Source: chesapeaketrees.net/understand-your-canopy
21. Sustaining urban and community forests 21 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 CONSERVE EXISTING COVER “Take care of what you’ve got!” REPLENISH NEW COVER “Plant trees!” Intrinsic Motivations Property Value Commerce Livability and Viability Educate About: Benefits / Costs / Tradeoffs Extrinsic Motivations Zoning Ordinances Resource Protection Areas Conservation Easements Financial Inducements
22. Sustaining urban and community forests 22 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Community Industry Government Scientists Professionals • Urban forests require space • Urban forests require investment • Urban forests require advocates • Urban forests require knowledge • Urban forests require planning • Urban forests require expertise
23. Sustaining urban and community forests 23 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Municipal Non-Profit Residential Commercial Framework for Stewardship Investment in Stewardship Space for Stewardship Advocacy for Stewardship
24. Sustaining urban and community forests 24 • 26 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Public Policy Public Outreach Tree Planting Tree Protection Tree Maintenance Tree Monitoring Tree Removal & Recycling Management Planning Management Financing Source: Google Earth
25. 25 • 26 • The national and state populations are growing and increasingly urban • Urbanization is both an opportunity and a threat for people and the environment • Urban forests are a nature-based solution to many sustainability challenges we face in urban areas • Sustaining urban and community forests requires advocacy, expertise, investment, and partnerships Source: Larry Harwell Photography, Charlotte Take home messages 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025
26. 2025 Peninsula Master Gardeners Tree Stewards Class • March 19, 2025 Stewardship and Sustainability of Urban and Community Forests 26 • 26 P. Eric Wiseman, PhD Associate Professor of Urban and Community Forestry Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation Virginia Tech vtuf@vt.edu linktr.ee/EricWiseman