The Million Trees LA initiative intends to chart a course for sustainable growth through planting and stewardship of trees. This study measures LA's existing tree canopy cover (TCC), determines if space exists for 1 million additional trees, and estimates future benefits from the planting. Benefits were forecast for planting of 1 million trees between 2006 and 2010, and their growth and mortality were projected until 2040. LA's existing TCC was 21%. There is potential to add 2.5 million additional trees to the existing population of 10.8 million, but only 1.3 million of the potential tree sites are deemed realistic to plant. Thus, there is space for planting 1 million new trees. Benefits for the 1-million-tree planting were between $1.33 band $1.95 billion.

This volume investigates how the physical characteristics and productivity of forest communities are related to the climates and soils in which they are found. It will provide fascinating reading for graduate-level students and research scientists working in ecohydrology, hydroclimatology, forest ecology, and surface water hydrology.

Forest condition is now assessed annually in most European countries. This field book provides details of assessment procedures used by the Forestry Commission in their main monitoring programme. Although this programme is restricted to Sitka spruce, Norway spruce, Scots pine, oak and beech, the techniques that are described are applicable with little or no modification to most other tree species. While emphasis has been placed on the assessment of crown density, a variety of other indexes are also used. These are described and an assessment system is provided for each parameter. The additional indices enable a full description to be made of the condition of a tree.

An analysis of trees in Washington, D.C. reveals that this city has about 1,928,000 trees with canopies that cover 28.6 percent of the area. The most common tree species are American beech, red maple, and boxelder. The urban forest currently store about 526,000 tons of carbon valued at $9.7 million. In addition, these trees remove about 16,200 tons of carbon per year ($299,000 per year) and about 540 tons of air pollution per year ($2.5 million per year). The structural, or compensatory, value is estimated at $3.6 billion. Information on the structure and functions of the urban forest can be used to improve and augment support for urban forest management programs and to integrate urban forests within plans to improve environmental quality in the Washington, D.C. area.

"The Forest Landscape Assessment Tool (FLAT) is a set of procedures and tools used to rapidly determine forest ecological conditions and potential threats. FLAT enables planners and managers to understand baseline conditions, determine and prioritize restoration needs across a landscape system, and conduct ongoing monitoring to achieve land management goals. The rapid assessment process presents a cost-effective opportunity for landowners that include local governments, private owners, and nongovernmental organizations to use ecological data to guide decisionmaking and improve environmental outcomes on their lands. This report is an introduction to FLAT, providing an overview of its purpose, methods, and implications for land management in diverse regions. FLAT is executed in three sequential phases: Phase 1--Forest Cover Type Mapping, Phase 2--Field Assessment, and Phase 3--Management Prioritization. Overall, FLAT consists of onsite visual estimation (aided by remote sensing) of ecological conditions by a trained field team to produce a forest inventory. In addition to providing baseline data and a framework to prioritize actions, FLAT can be used as a monitoring tool to evaluate changing conditions and inform adjustments in management strategies and priorities. To illustrate FLAT implementation, the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks case study details a pilot project conducted on 24,700 of the more than 26,000 ac of county lands. King County is using the results from FLAT to develop and implement forest stewardship plans and target efforts of its volunteer restoration program. Although the tool was initially used in lowland forests in the Puget Sound region, in concept, FLAT could be expanded and adapted for use in a wide variety of ecosystem types."--Abstract

Close to 80 percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas and depends on the essential ecological, economic, and social benefits provided by urban trees and forests. However, the distribution of urban tree cover and the benefits of urban forests vary across the United States, as do the challenges of sustaining this important resource. As urban areas expand across the country, the importance of the benefits that urban forests provide, as well as the challenges to their conservation and maintenance, will increase. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the current status and benefits of America's urban forests, compare differences in urban forest canopy cover among regions, and discuss challenges facing urban forests and their implications for urban forest management.

With illustrative and detailed examples drawn from throughout the country, Green Infrastructure advances smart land conservation: large scale thinking and integrated action to plan, protect and manage our natural and restored lands. From the individual parcel to the multi-state region, Green Infrastructure helps each of us look at the landscape in relation to the many uses it could serve, for nature and people, and determine which use makes the most sense. In this wide-ranging primer, leading experts in the field provide a detailed how-to for planners, designers, landscape architects, and citizen activists.