Urban Silviculture: Managing and Restoring Forests in Cities
By Brittany M. Wienke, Clara C. Pregitzer, Helen M. Forgione, Sarah Charlop-Powers, Richard A. Hallett, Max R. Piana, Nancy Falxa Sonti
Silviculture, a holistic framework for managing forests that is widely used in rural areas, can also be used to manage forests in cities. This guide provides a brief introduction to silvicultural practice, and shows how it can be used to manage forests in cities for sustained and increased benefits through case studies and practical tools for urban forest managers.
In a nutshell, the resource offers:
- A framework for conducting silviculture in urban or community settings, starting with assessment to planning and goal setting, operations, and monitoring
- A series of case studies from urban, suburban, and rural forests across the country that show how silviculture has been used to deal with management challenges such as non-native invasive species and climate adaptation
- Practical tools such as checklists outlining the data, equipment, and skills needed to execute silviculture, and a silvicultural prescription template, ready to be adapted to individual urban contexts
How to use this resource:
- This guide will help managers think through their forest management planning at a high level.
- Case studies can be used to understand the value of applying silvicultural techniques and to explain and justify the need for such management to elected officials and other leadership positions.
- The practical tools provided in the guide can be used to execute silviculture on the ground.
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