Study examines urban forests across the United States

by Amy Olson, Dartmouth College
July 12, 2024

In recent years, tree-planting campaigns have been underway in the United States, especially in cities, as part of climate mitigation efforts.

Urban forests can help improve air quality, generate cooling effects, and provide green spaces for outdoor recreation while also serving as an ecological habitat.

Just last year, the U.S. Forest Service announced a $1 billion campaign to expand access to trees and green spaces throughout the country, including in cities.

But a new Dartmouth-led study finds that some areas within urban forests in the U.S., may be more capable than trees growing around city home lawns in adapting to a warmer climate.

The findings are published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.

The researchers were especially interested in understanding the various tree species in cities and correlations between native biodiversity and capacity for tree species to adapt to climate change in terms of water usage and tolerating droughts.

These implications are relevant given that droughts and water shortages in the U.S. are projected to become more frequent in the future.

Keep reading: https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2024/07/study-examines-urban-forests-across-united-states

Read the Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.2777