Maintaining the Diversity of California’s Municipal Forests    (View PDF)

Robert N. Muller and Carol Bornstein

Abstract: Policies to promote urban forest diversity were assessed in 49 California, U.S. municipalities through a short questionnaire, followed by evaluation of street tree inventories and approved planting lists. While the majority of respondents (82%) indicated maintaining species diversity was an objective in managing their municipal forest, fewer than half of those responding positively (48%) had codified the objective in an actual urban forest management plan. Protecting against invasive species was an objective for a minority of communities (24%). Street tree inventories, provided by 18 respondents, indicated a high existing diversity within the communities of the state of California (avg. 185 species per community; range 95–408). In communities where both inventories and approved planting lists could be compared directly, the number of approved species for future planting was 29% of the number of species in the existing inventory. This suggests that the future diversity of California’s urban forests may be at risk. In order to improve diversity of their municipal forests, it is suggested communities retain an experimental approach to evaluating new species, build productive collaborations with all stakeholders as well as other communities, and develop outreach opportunities to enhance public awareness of the multiple values of a diverse urban forest.

Keywords: California; Diversity; Invasive Species; Municipal Forest; Urban Forest

https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.2010.003