A hurricane can cause large scale damage, quickly changing our backyards and communities. Homes and buildings may be damaged or destroyed, power lines down, and trees broken and torn. In the wake such change, people often experience a deep sense… Read More
Urban forests, including trees and shrubs, are a critical resource. They provide a host of benefits that support our health and prosperity. Hurricanes can be extremely damaging to communities and urban forests. During these storms trees can become… Read More
While urban areas can support surprisingly high levels of plant diversity (Alvey 2006), more can be done to encourage and conserve biodiversity in the urban forest. In north and central Florida, only four species make up 65% of… Read More
Lifespan of Some Common Trees in Florida Source: Loehle, C. (1988). “Tree life history strategies: the role of defenses.” Canadian Journal of Forest Research 18(2): 209-222. Common Name Scientific Name Average Lifespan Maximum Lifespan Ash, Green Fraxinus pennsylvanicum… Read More
It often appears that the easiest way to solve an urban forestry problem is by writing a regulation or ordinance. But, that is not always the case. The fixed and static nature of ordinances can make them very… Read More
Forest Sustainability Within a Metropolitan Watershed Steps Recommended by the Tampa Bay Forest Working Group Management approaches to the sustainability of urban and urbanizing forests are poorly defined in both scope and application (Clark et al. 1997). As our… Read More
Natural areas within our growing metropolitan regions play a significant role in maintaining the health and economic vitality of residents, and the conservation of wild plants and animals. Management of natural areas, with their intricate biological cycles, is… Read More
Since the late 19th century the engineering professions have done a masterful job of ameliorating filth and spread of disease in our cities, including the provision of safe water supply, sanitary disposal of human waste and refuge, and… Read More
For most of us the first thing we notice when we see a forest is the trees. Its natural, they are so much bigger than we are that their presence changes the way we feel. But the forest… Read More
Studies in urban woodlands have found effects of improved immune system response, lowered stress indicators, reduced depression and lower glucose levels in diabetics. Increasing tree density, and resulting reduction in air pollution, has been shown to lower the… Read More
