Congress Spotlight #22 – Green cities: The benefits of the urban forest
Green cities: The benefits of the urban forest
Experiencing the floodplain forests of the city of Leipzig, Germany, from the river (photo by Matilda Annerstedt)
The urban forest means different things to different people.
Many of us see only visually pleasing tree-lined streets, or enjoy the coolness afforded by shade trees on hot days.
Those more closely involved with the urban forest see that – and much, much more.
They also see the urban forest in terms of the ecosystem services and values derived from it – reduced energy use of buildings, improved air quality, stream flows, water quality, urban wildlife, human health, climate change (in terms of both mitigation and species composition) and other benefits that are environmental, social and economic.