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Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumNation's urban forests losing ground: New Orleans, Albuquerque, Houston losing trees
http://nrs.fs.fed.us/news/release/urban-forests-lose-ground[font face=Times, Times New Roman, Serif][font size=5]Nation's urban forests losing ground: New Orleans, Albuquerque, Houston losing trees[/font]
[font size=3]WASHINGTON, D.C., February 23, 2012 - National results indicate that tree cover in urban areas of the United States is declining at a rate of about 4 million trees per year, according to a U.S. Forest Service study published recently in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening.
Tree cover in 17 of the 20 cities analyzed in the study declined while 16 cities saw increases in impervious cover, which includes pavement and rooftops. Land that lost trees was for the most part converted to either grass or ground cover, impervious cover or bare soil.
Of the 20 cities analyzed, the greatest percentage of annual loss in tree cover occurred in New Orleans, Houston and Albuquerque. Researchers expected to find a dramatic loss of trees in New Orleans and said that it is most likely due to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Tree cover ranged from a high of 53.9 percent in Atlanta to a low of 9.6 percent in Denver while total impervious cover varied from 61.1 percent in New York City to 17.7 percent in Nashville. Cities with the greatest annual increase in impervious cover were Los Angeles, Houston and Albuquerque.
Our urban forests are under stress, and it will take all of us working together to improve the health of these crucial green spaces, said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. Community organizations and municipal planners can use i-Tree to analyze their own tree cover, and determine the best species and planting spots in their neighborhoods. Its not too late to restore our urban forests the time is now to turn this around.
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[font size=3]WASHINGTON, D.C., February 23, 2012 - National results indicate that tree cover in urban areas of the United States is declining at a rate of about 4 million trees per year, according to a U.S. Forest Service study published recently in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening.
Tree cover in 17 of the 20 cities analyzed in the study declined while 16 cities saw increases in impervious cover, which includes pavement and rooftops. Land that lost trees was for the most part converted to either grass or ground cover, impervious cover or bare soil.
Of the 20 cities analyzed, the greatest percentage of annual loss in tree cover occurred in New Orleans, Houston and Albuquerque. Researchers expected to find a dramatic loss of trees in New Orleans and said that it is most likely due to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Tree cover ranged from a high of 53.9 percent in Atlanta to a low of 9.6 percent in Denver while total impervious cover varied from 61.1 percent in New York City to 17.7 percent in Nashville. Cities with the greatest annual increase in impervious cover were Los Angeles, Houston and Albuquerque.
Our urban forests are under stress, and it will take all of us working together to improve the health of these crucial green spaces, said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. Community organizations and municipal planners can use i-Tree to analyze their own tree cover, and determine the best species and planting spots in their neighborhoods. Its not too late to restore our urban forests the time is now to turn this around.
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Nation's urban forests losing ground: New Orleans, Albuquerque, Houston losing trees (Original Post)
OKIsItJustMe
Feb 2012
OP
MountainLaurel
(10,271 posts)1. Funny you post this now
I live in New Orleans, and my neighbors had to cut down 3 trees in their yard last week. The neighbor on the other side had threatened to sue because he couldn't get homeowner's insurance if there were tree branches growing over the house. Or at least that was the story he gave -- for all I know the truth is that he didn't want to clean out his gutters so often.
OKIsItJustMe
(19,933 posts)2. Three trees here, three trees there…
Hey! Why is it so blasted hot!?
MountainLaurel
(10,271 posts)3. It's especially painful
Because my neighbors spent last summer building a lovely deck in the trees to create a shady place to hang out above mosquito level.