Category: Urban Forests

Urban hotspots for invasive insects

by Jennifer Moore Myers, SRS Science Communications  • 
About 82% of the U.S. population lives in urban areas, and that number is growing. People are drawn from near and far to cities for jobs, restaurants, and entertainment. They also enjoy green spaces within a bustling cityscape. Parks, forests, and tree-lined streets provide respite and recreation, places to pause and ponder. Trees in urban…  More 

Shifting to a Bioeconomy

by Jesse Brewer, SRS Science Communications Intern  • 
Forests and trees have always been crucial to people’s food security, nutrition, and culinary cultural identity. With a steadily growing world population, one of the most significant challenges of the 21st century will be increasing food production while maintaining worldwide forest health and biodiversity. “I have come to realize that we, forest management experts, don’t…  More 

FIA in the U.S. Virgin Islands

by Teresa Jackson, SRS Public Affairs  • 
The 49th Annual Agriculture and Food Fair of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Agrifest, was held on the island of St. Croix in February. Agrifest is the largest agriculture and food explosion and celebration in the Caribbean – drawing thousands of fairgoers from around the world. USDA Forest Service scientists Tom Brandeis, Humfredo Marcano-Vega, and Kathleen…  More 

Uncovering Urban Forests

by Naomi Cohen-Shields, SRS Science Communications Intern  • 
The scope of forest-pest risk analysis research is often limited to natural forests. Neglected are those tree communities called urban forests: trees within the boundaries of a city or populated area. Urban trees see a significant proportion of the impacts from invasive pests. Their unnatural distribution and close proximity to transported goods and other means…  More 

The State of U.S. Forests

by Sonja Oswalt, SRS FIA Forester  • 
The U.S. forest products industry accounts for approximately four percent of the nation’s total manufacturing GDP, producing over $200 billion in products every year. To keep tabs on the condition and status of America’s forest resources over time, the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis Program compiles the official estimates for all public and private forest lands in…  More 

Invasive Plants Follow Land Abandonment after Hurricane Katrina

by Jennifer Moore Myers, SRS Science Communications  • 
The lot is overgrown, crowded with unruly shrubs, vines, and waist-high weeds. It is littered with old tires and garbage and is now home to a rusted Toyota Tercel. The air is heavy and buzzing with mosquitoes. This is the Lower 9th Ward, where U.S. Forest Service research forester Wayne Zipperer studied the vegetation on…  More 

Green Space, Human Health, and Social Justice

by Jennifer Moore Myers, SRS Science Communications, and Kiley Coates, SRS Science Communications Intern  • 
Urban green spaces like parks, urban forests, and greenways are often not equally available to everyone. “My research focuses on the nexus between urban nature, social justice, and health as it relates to factors such as income, race, and socioeconomic status,” says U.S. Forest service biological scientist Viniece Jennings. Existing research has described the benefits…  More 

Urban Forests & Stormwater Management

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
Raindrops that land on trees may never hit the ground. “Trees intercept a significant amount of rain,” says U.S. Forest Service science delivery specialist Eric Kuehler. Once intercepted by a leaf or branch, some rain evaporates. Some trickles down the tree’s stem and seeps into the soil. “Soil is the best place to store water,”…  More 

Urban Forest Strike Teams Support Storm Recovery

by Patty Matteson, SRS Public Affairs  • 
Thousands of federal, state, and private agencies have been deployed to areas that were impacted by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate. These first responders are there to help the people in the storm’s path. However, there is another group of responders that go into storm-ravaged towns to aid the trees: the Urban Forest Strike Teams (UFST).…  More 

After the Hurricane: Dealing with Damaged Trees

by Zoe Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
Hurricanes bring winds that can exceed 125 miles per hour, heavy rain, and flooding — any or all of which can damage trees. Some damage can be seen immediately, while some damage may not become apparent for years after a hurricane. On the other hand, what may initially seem like mortal damage — all the…  More