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Urban Forests, Human Health, and Environmental Quality

Urban vegetation and its management can significantly influence human health and environmental quality in and around cities. However, relatively little is known about these influences, and about which vegetation designs and management practices will optimize the net benefits to society from urban vegetation. We work with numerous cooperators to: (1) quantify the environmental effects of urban vegetation and its management, and (2) develop appropriate vegetation management strategies to improve human health and environmental quality in urban and urbanizing areas. We are investigating the following research topics:

Research Topics

• Urban forest health and structure - What are the structure, composition, and health of the urban forest resource across the United States, how is it changing, and what are the environmental effects of these changes?
• Air quality and greenhouse gases - What effect does urban vegetation have on local and regional air quality and atmospheric carbon dioxide, and what species composition and design will maximize air quality improvement and minimize concentrations of greenhouse gases?
• Urban climate - What effects do urban trees have on local air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speeds, and how can urban vegetation be configured to increase human comfort and reduce thermal stress? 
• Ultraviolet radiation - As vegetation can significantly reduce ultraviolet (UV) radiation loads reaching the ground, what vegetation designs will most effectively protect people from UV radiation, thereby reducing the potential for skin cancer and other problems related to UV radiation exposure?
• Energy conservation - What impacts do trees have on building energy use, and how can they be optimally configured to reduce building energy use in buildings and consequent pollutant emissions from power plants?
• Effects of urban land use change on carbon and nitrogen dynamics - How does urbanization and exotic species composition affect forest growth and nutrient cycling in and around urban areas?
• Urban soil formation and function – How does urbanization affect soil characteristics and which urban soil modifications have a significant effect of tree health, soil formation, and soil classification?
• Water quantity and quality – What effects do urban trees have on local water quality and flooding; what urban forest configurations are best to improve water quality and reduce flooding?
• Tools to assess urban ecosystem services

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