Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (Dec 2021)
Climate Adaptive Silviculture for the City: Practitioners and Researchers Co-create a Framework for Studying Urban Oak-Dominated Mixed Hardwood Forests
- Max R. Piana,
- Richard A. Hallett,
- Michelle L. Johnson,
- Nancy F. Sonti,
- Leslie A. Brandt,
- Myla F. J. Aronson,
- Mark Ashton,
- Max Blaustein,
- David Bloniarz,
- Ashley A. Bowers,
- Megan E. Carr,
- Vince D’Amico,
- Laura Dewald,
- Heather Dionne,
- Danica A. Doroski,
- Robert T. Fahey,
- Helen Forgione,
- Todd Forrest,
- Jack Hale,
- Eric Hansen,
- Lisa Hayden,
- Sarah Hines,
- Jessica M. Hoch,
- Taro Ieataka,
- Susannah B. Lerman,
- Charles Murphy,
- Eliot Nagele,
- Keith Nislow,
- Dhan Parker,
- Clara C. Pregitzer,
- Luke Rhodes,
- Jessica Schuler,
- Alexander Sherman,
- Tara Trammell,
- Brittany M. Wienke,
- Thomas Witmer,
- Thomas Worthley,
- Ian Yesilonis
Affiliations
- Max R. Piana
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Amherst, MA, United States
- Richard A. Hallett
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Queens, NY, United States
- Michelle L. Johnson
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Queens, NY, United States
- Nancy F. Sonti
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Leslie A. Brandt
- Northern Research Station, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, USDA Forest Service, St. Paul, MN, United States
- Myla F. J. Aronson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
- Mark Ashton
- The Forest School at the School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Max Blaustein
- Department of Parks and Recreation – City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- David Bloniarz
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Amherst, MA, United States
- Ashley A. Bowers
- Department of Recreation and Parks – City of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States,
- Megan E. Carr
- Department of Recreation and Parks – City of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States,
- Vince D’Amico
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Laura Dewald
- 0Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
- Heather Dionne
- 1Forestry Division – City of Hartford, Hartford, CT, United States
- Danica A. Doroski
- 2Connecticut Department of Energy and the Environment, Hartford, CT, United States
- Robert T. Fahey
- 3Department of Natural Resources and the Environment and Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
- Helen Forgione
- 4Natural Areas Conservancy, New York, NY, United States
- Todd Forrest
- 5The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, United States
- Jack Hale
- 1Forestry Division – City of Hartford, Hartford, CT, United States
- Eric Hansen
- 6Ferrucci & Walicki, LLC, Middlefield, CT, United States
- Lisa Hayden
- 7New England Forestry Foundation, Littleton, MA, United States
- Sarah Hines
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Jessica M. Hoch
- 4Natural Areas Conservancy, New York, NY, United States
- Taro Ieataka
- 8Westcheter County Parks, North Salem, NY, United States
- Susannah B. Lerman
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Amherst, MA, United States
- Charles Murphy
- Department of Recreation and Parks – City of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States,
- Eliot Nagele
- 5The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, United States
- Keith Nislow
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Amherst, MA, United States
- Dhan Parker
- Department of Parks and Recreation – City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Clara C. Pregitzer
- 4Natural Areas Conservancy, New York, NY, United States
- Luke Rhodes
- Department of Parks and Recreation – City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Jessica Schuler
- 8Westcheter County Parks, North Salem, NY, United States
- Alexander Sherman
- 9City of Springfield, Springfield, MA, United States
- Tara Trammell
- 0Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
- Brittany M. Wienke
- 4Natural Areas Conservancy, New York, NY, United States
- Thomas Witmer
- Department of Parks and Recreation – City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Thomas Worthley
- 3Department of Natural Resources and the Environment and Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
- Ian Yesilonis
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Baltimore, MD, United States
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.750495
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 9
Abstract
Urban forested natural areas are an important component of the forest and tree canopy in northeastern United States urban areas. Although similar to native forests in surrounding regions in structure, composition, and function, these natural areas are threatened by multiple, co-occurring biological and climate stressors that are exacerbated by the urban environment. Furthermore, forests in cities often lack application of formal silvicultural approaches reliant upon evidence-based applied ecological sciences. These include both urban- and climate-adapted silvicultural techniques to increase the resilience and sustainability of native forests in cities. With this in mind, we convened a group of urban forest practitioners and researchers from along a latitudinal gradient in the northeastern United States to participate in a workshop focused on co-developing long-term, replicated ecological studies that will underlie the basis for potential silvicultural applications to urban forests. In this article we review the process and outcomes of the workshop, including an assessment of forest vulnerability, and adaptive capacity across the region, as well as shared management goals and objectives. We discuss the social and ecological challenges of managing urban oak-dominated mixed hardwood forests relative to non-urban forests and identify potential examples of urban- and climate-adapted silviculture strategies created by practitioners and researchers. In doing so, we highlight the challenges and need for basic and long-term applied ecological research relevant to silvicultural applications in cities.
Keywords
- urban forests
- urban forestry
- silviculture
- forest restoration
- climate adaptation
- climate vulnerability
