A Ground-Based Method of Assessing Urban Forest Structure and Ecosystem Services

TLDR

Urban forest management requires reliable data, and random sampling of urban areas offers an efficient way to obtain such information. The authors developed the Urban Forest Effects (UFORE) model to assess urban forest structure and ecosystem services such as air pollution removal and carbon sequestration. The UFORE model is based on ground‑based measurements of tree number, species, size, and health, and compares results across 14 U.S.

Abstract

To properly manage urban forests, it is essential to have data on this important resource. An efficient means to obtain this information is to randomly sample urban areas. To help assess the urban forest structure (e.g., number of trees, species composition, tree sizes, health) and several functions (e.g., air pollution removal, carbon storage and sequestration), the Urban Forest Effects (UFORE) model was developed. Data collection variables and model methods are detailed and urban forest structure results are compared among 14 United States cities with average tree density ranging between 22.5 trees/ha (9.1 trees/ac) in Casper, Wyoming, U.S. to 275.8 trees/ha (111.6 trees/ac) in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Advantages and disadvantages of this ground-based method of assessing urban forest structure, functions, and values are discussed.