Restoring the Urban Forest Ecosystem

"The urban forest ecosystem can provide many ecological services and benefits to cities and communities including energy conservation, contributing to global biodiversity, and maintaining hydrologic and nutrient cycles. Yet in many instances these benefits are not realized due to poor health and management of the urban forest. Many opportunities for restoration -- reestablishing the structure and function of the urban forest ecosystem -- exist. The goal of restoration is to return the urban forest to a form which is more ecologically sustainable. A restored urban forest will contribute positively to the community instead of being a drain on its resources. Many of our parks are composed of trees and grass requiring intensive maintenance inputs such as fertilizing, irrigating, mowing and raking. With restoration these parks could take advantage of natural processes such as nutrient and water cycling, thereby saving money, energy and resources for the community. Connecting these restored parks to other ecosystems such as waterways can also contribute to biodiversity and wildlife conservation. Restoration sites can range from backyards to neighborhoods to parks to whole waterways and metropolitan areas. The United States hosts an abundance of successful and innovative urban forest restoration projects which illustrate the potential for creativity, diversity and the ability to tailor projects to local needs and opportunities. This CD-ROM [publication] explains basic ecological principles for the urban forests water, soil, plant and animal communities. It discusses problems common in the urban forest such as aquatic eutrophication, soil aeration, invasive plants and loss of biodiversity. Solutions, strategies, examples, and additional resources are presented to help make urban forest restoration projects successful. Its goal is to inspire the restoration of urban forest ecosystems which will, in turn, restore and conserve our planet for future generations." [Abstract]

Contents

Chapter 1: Restoring the Urban Forest Ecosystem - An Introduction

Mary L. Duryea

Chapter 2: Basic Ecological Principles for Restoration

Mary L. Duryea, Eliana Kämpf Binelli, and Henry L. Gholz

Chapter 3: Biodiversity and the Restoration of the Urban Forest Ecosystem

Eliana Kämpf Binelli

Chapter 4: Plant Succession and Disturbances in the Urban Forest Ecosystem

Eliana Kämpf Binelli, Henry L. Gholz, and Mary L. Duryea

Chapter 5: Developing a Restoration Plan That Works

William G. Hubbard

Chapter 6: Restoring the Hydrological Cycle in the Urban Forest Ecosystem

Lawrence V. Korhnak

Chapter 7: Site Assessment and Soil Improvement

Kim D. Coder

Chapter 8: Enriching and Managing Urban Forests for Wildlife

Joseph M. Schaefer

Chapter 9: Invasive Plants and the Restoration of the Urban Forest Ecosystem

Hallie Dozier

Chapter 10: Glossary of Terms for Restoring the Urban Forest Ecosystem

Eliana Kämpf Binelli, Mary L. Duryea, and Lawrence V. Korhnak

This is a 14 mbyte PDF; visit the publishers link below to download individual chapters. [This publication (SW-140) is copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and is used with permission for educational purposes.]