Title: A National Assessment of the Urban Forest: An Overview

Author: Dwyer, John F.; Nowak, David J.

Year: 2000

Publication: Society of American Foresters 1999 National Convention Portland, Oregon. p. 157-162. (2000)

Abstract: Urban forest management promises to play a critical role in the management of .... our nation's forest resources in the 21st century. Urban forests are significant and diverse ecosystems with intricate connections among their physical, biological, and social components; as well as with other elements of urban and natural resource systems. Urban forests are also dynamic systems, shaped by the relatively slow growth and development of trees in the context of rapidly changing urban environments. To sustain forest structure, health, and benefits over the long-term, comprehensive, and adaptive management approaches are needed. The management of urban forests has important implications for the health and well-being of the residents of urban and urbanizing areas; but its influence on the forest management extends well beyond the boundaries of urbanizing areas.