Restoring the Urban Forest Ecosystem1 Mary L
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Abstract: Restoring the Urban Forest Ecosystem1 Mary L. Duryea, Eliana Kämpf Binelli, and Lawrence V. Korhnak, Editors2 Restoring the Urban Forest waterways and metropolitan areas. The United States Ecosystem hosts an abundance of successful and innovative urban forest restoration projects which illustrate the The urban forest ecosystem can provide many potential for creativity, diversity and the ability to ecological services and benefits to cities and tailor projects to local needs and opportunities. This communities including energy conservation, CD-ROM explains basic ecological principles for the contributing to global biodiversity, and maintaining urban forest's water, soil, plant and animal hydrologic and nutrient cycles. Yet in many communities. It discusses problems common in the instances these benefits are not realized due to poor urban forest such as aquatic eutrophication, soil health and management of the urban forest. Many aeration, invasive plants and loss of biodiversity. opportunities for restoration -- reestablishing the Solutions, strategies, examples, and additional structure and function of the urban forest ecosystem resources are presented to help make urban forest -- exist. The goal of restoration is to return the urban restoration projects successful. Its goal is to inspire forest to a form which is more ecologically the restoration of urban forest ecosystems which will, sustainable. A restored urban forest will contribute in turn, restore and conserve our planet for future positively to the community instead of being a drain generations. on its resources. Many of our parks are composed of trees and grass requiring intensive maintenance Contents inputs such as fertilizing, irrigating, mowing and Chapter 1: Restoring the Urban Forest raking. With restoration these parks could take advantage of natural processes such as nutrient and Ecosystem - An Introduction - Mary L. Duryea water cycling, thereby saving money, energy and Chapter 2: Basic Ecological Principles for resources for the community. Connecting these Restoration - Mary L. Duryea, Eliana Kämpf restored parks to other ecosystems such as Binelli, and Henry L. Gholz waterways can also contribute to biodiversity and wildlife conservation. Restoration sites can range from backyards to neighborhoods to parks to whole 1. This document is the Abstract, Table of Contents, and Acknowledgments for SW-140, Restoring the Urban Forest Ecosystem, a CD-ROM (M.L. Duryea, E. Kämpf Binelli, and L.V. Korhnak, Eds.) produced by the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication date: June 2000. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu 2. Mary L. Duryea, Professor and Extension Forester, Eliana Kämpf Binelli, Extension Forester, and Lawrence V. Korhnak, Senior Biological Scientist, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, PO Box 110410, Gainesville, FL 32611. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. For information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension Service office. Florida Cooperative Extension Service/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences/University of Florida/Christine Taylor Waddill, Dean. Abstract: Restoring the Urban Forest Ecosystem 2 Chapter 3: Biodiversity and the Restoration of the We found many beautiful photos to describe Urban Forest Ecosystem - Eliana Kämpf Binelli projects around the U.S. Everyone is credited with each photo but we would like to extend our thanks to Chapter 4: Plant Succession and Disturbances all you photographers for your generosity in sharing in the Urban Forest Ecosystem- Eliana Kämpf these beautiful scenes with us. Binelli, Henry L. Gholz, and Mary L. Duryea And finally, the authors also extend their sincere Chapter 5: Developing a Restoration Plan gratitude to the many people around the U.S. who That Works - William G. Hubbard shared information with us about their restoration Chapter 6: Restoring the Hydrological Cycle programs: Don Alam, Artesia, NM; Laurie Ames, City of Seattle Dept. of Neighborhoods; Rob Buffler, in the Urban Forest Ecosystem - Lawrence V. Greening the Great River Park, St. Paul, MN; Korhnak Charley Davis, Portland Parks and Recreation, OR; Chapter 7: Site Assessment and Soil Meridith Cornett, Minnesota Department of Natural Improvement - Kim D. Coder Resources; Sandy Diedrich, Forest Park Ivy Removal Project, Portland, OR; Ray Emanuel, Drew Gardens, Chapter 8: Enriching and Managing Urban NY, NY; Alice Ewen, American Forests, Forests for Wildlife - Joseph M. Schaefer Washington, DC; Steve Graham, City of Tampa Parks Department, Tampa, FL; Steve Gubitti, Bill Chapter 9: Invasive Plants and the Baggs Park Restoration, Department of Restoration of the Urban Forest Ecosystem - Environmental Protection, Tallahassee, FL; Paula Hallie Dozier Hewitt, Open Road, NY, NY; Judy Okay, Difficult Chapter 10: Glossary of Terms for Restoring Run Watershed Project, Virginia Department of the Urban Forest Ecosystem - Eliana Kämpf Forestry; Kit ONeill, Ravenna Creek Alliance, Binelli, Mary L. Duryea, and Lawrence V. Korhnak Seattle, WA; John Rieger, Carmel Valley Restoration and Enhancement Project, CA; Linda Robinson, Acknowledgments Naturescaping for Clean Rivers, Portland, OR; Joe Schaefer, Schoolyard Ecosystems for Northeast We are grateful for funding from the USDA Florida, Gainesville, FL; Beth Stout, National Forest Service, Cooperative Forestry through the Wildlife Federation, Portland, OR; David M. National Urban Community Forestry Advisory Wachtel, Chicago Wilderness; David J. Welsch, Council's grants program. Special thanks to Suzanne USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Division, del Villar who patiently waited for all our reports. Radnor, PA; Paul West, Seattle Dept. of Parks and We are also most grateful to Ed Macie, USDA Forest Recreation; and Greg Wolley, Metropolitan Service, Region 8, Atlanta, who in addition to Greenspaces, Metro, Portland, OR. supporting this CD-ROM has enthusiastically guided and sponsored the Urban Forestry Institute for over We dedicate this work to all the hard-working, ten years. dedicated and creative people around the U.S. who are finding so many ways to restore the beauty and At the University of Florida, we would like to health to the urban forest ecosystem. thank Wayne Smith for his continued encouragement and support for this project. Also, many long hours were spent by Howard Beck and Petraq Papajorgji of IFAS Information Technologies they planned, designed and successfully created this CD-ROM and its printable version. They were assisted by Anna Beck, Joe Bess and Rayna Elkins. Thank you all so much. Chapter 1: Restoring the Urban Forest Ecosystem: An Introduction1 Mary L. Duryea2 Abstract wildlife management and conservation. The options for restoration sites include: yards, vacant lots, Urban and community forests are often managed shopping centers, schoolyards, parks, industrial as individual trees instead of whole forest parks, and waterways. The projects can be varied ecosystems. Cities inventory and manage these tree such as: (1) The simple act of eliminating leaf-raking species to meet many important needs such as energy in a park to reestablish the natural forest floor and the conservation, beauty, and recreation in the city. Yet, natural cycling of nutrients; (2) The establishment of there are many opportunities for urban forest understory plant species in a schoolyard to promote restoration to provide additional ecological benefits wildlife; (3) The eradication of an invasive plant such as storm-water management, wildlife species which is eliminating much of the understory management, and biodiversity. Restoring the urban biodiversity in a park; (4) The re-design of a parking forest ecosystem is reestablishing the ecological lot to decrease stormwater runoff and provide a small health of the urban forest ecosystem. The goal of ecological wetland; or (5) The re-creation of a park restoration is to return the urban forest to a form with species and ecosystems to be just the way it was which is more ecologically sustainable for the in the 1800s. The United States hosts an abundance community; the restored urban forest will contribute of successful and innovative urban forest restoration positively to the community instead of being a drain projects. The two key ingredients that make these on its resources. Many of our parks, for example, are projects so successful are the involvement of people composed of trees and grass requiring intensive from the community and the formulation of a maintenance inputs such as fertilizing, irrigating, restoration plan. mowing and raking. With restoration these parks could take advantage of natural processes such as The Urban Forest Ecosystem nutrient and water cycling, thereby saving money, energy and resources for the community. Connecting To define the urban forest ecosystem we take these restored parks to other ecosystems such as the original definition of ecosystem and apply it to waterways can also contribute to biodiversity and the urban forest. 1. This is Chapter 1 in SW-140, "Restoring the