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This wide tree lawn planted
with twin
rows of red oaks (Quercus rubra), in
Philadelphia's Mount Airy section, is
a typical example of a neighborhood
that was planned with the needs of large
street trees in mind. Even in winter,
these trees add life to the neighborhood!
(photo
credit: Brice Dorwart)
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What
is an "urban forest" anyway, and what is urban forestry?
The urban forest is all around us!
Although it might sound like a contradiction in terms, urban
communities can coexist with forests. In the case of
an urban forest, this "forest" is not a traditional,
wild plant community, but rather the collective canopy of
individual planted shade trees and other vegetation in residential
neighborhoods, commercial areas, and parkland within a city
or town. Since most densely-populated environments in
the United States consist of large amounts of hard pavement
and aboveground structures, plus vast networks of belowground
infrastructure, there is usually very little "wild" land left
within a city or town. However, it is an almost universal
practice to plant trees within our communities, for shade
as well as ornament.
Urban forestry is both
a science and an art.
Urban forestry involves planning and maintaining this urban
forest. For the entire history of the United States,
as towns and cities have evolved, people have planted and
maintained trees. People seem to have a subconscious
need for greenery, and by surrounding ourselves with plants
we make our built surroundings more beautiful. When
we plant trees, we invest in the future, for many kinds of
trees have life expectancies of hundreds of years. When
we plan for the care of these trees we plant, we ensure their
health and survival. Trees feature prominently in the
cultural heritage of many civilizations, and every civilization
has had its own methods of tree care. Even now, as we
learn more about the physical and biological properties of
trees, we adjust our tree care practices so that we keep the
tree's best interests in mind.
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This autumn
view down a street in Philadelphia's Chestnut Hill section
shows a continuous canopy of street trees, mostly London planetrees
(Platanus x acerifolia). (photo
credit: Brice Dorwart)
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