Manage herbivory to promote regeneration, growth, and form of desired species

Urban areas can be heavily populated with mammalian herbivores such as rabbits and deer. These herbivores can hinder regeneration and growth of desired plant species, and populations of some herbivorous species may grow in some areas as winters become less severe. Protecting desired species from herbivory has the obvious benefit of directly reducing grazing damage, but can also be important in fostering resilience to other stressors, which are expected to be exacerbated by climate change. This approach may be combined with other approaches that release advanced regeneration or stimulate new regeneration.

Climate change may result in increases in biological stressors such as pests, pathogens, and invasive plant species. Urban areas are especially prone to attacks by nonnative pests and pathogens. Pests that are currently limited by cold temperatures or growing season(e.g., hemlock woolly adelgid in New England) could also affect urban areas sooner than surrounding rural areas due to the effects of the urban heat island. Reducing or eliminating stressors that might make a tree more susceptible to new or existing pests or pathogens will be important to maintaining forests in urban areas.