As climate becomes hotter and drier, forests in the Southwest are experiencing more drought, wildfires and pest pressure. Forested ecosystems provide essential ecosystem services such as providing habitat, clean water, and economic and cultural benefits (USGCRP, 2018). The issues facing forests are simultaneously affecting trees in urban and community spaces. Urban areas are especially vulnerable to climate change with exposure to increased pollution, greater human population densities, and intensified impacts from urban heat, drought, and extreme weather (Janowiak et al. 2021). Urban and community forests are diverse ecosystems located in and around urban spaces. These forests provide ecosystem services such as urban heat mitigation, energy conservation, and air and water pollution reduction. Aside from many ecological benefits, urban and community forests provide social, cultural, recreational, and economic value to communities (CSU, 2022). Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) managers work towards preserving and enhancing these community spaces.
While there are countless resources that can help in managing urban and community forests, the amount of information available can be overwhelming and not region specific. In response to this challenge, the Southwest Climate Hub has developed an Urban and Community Forestry Resources database to house useful resources and information to assist in UCF stewardship in the Southwest Climate Hub Region (Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Hawai'i). This database provides a "clearing house" resource of adaptiation options for community programs and nurseries to plan and manage urban and community forests in a changing climate.
The database is in the form of a Google spreadsheet with four main sections: contacts, resources, programs, and nurseries. The Programs tab includes federal, state, and private UCF organizations working towards urban and community forest stewardship in the Southwest Climate Hub region. The Contacts tab includes essential urban and community forestry contacts in each state. The Resources tab includes tree species lists, assessments, reports, fact sheets, guides, websites, and maps to aid in UCF planning and stewardship. The Nurseries tab includes tree nurseries in each state that supply trees and saplings that can be planted in urban and community spaces. Access the Urban & Community Forestry Resources database here.
Please contact Lauren Kramer at lauren.kramer@usda.gov for any questions, comments, or additions to the spreadsheet.
References:
Colorado State University (CSU). (2022, September 1). Urban & Community Forestry. Colorado State Forest Service. https://csfs.colostate.edu/forest-management/community-urban-forestry/
Janowiak, M. K., Brandt, L. A., Wolf, K. L., Brady, M., Darling, L., Lewis, A. D., Fahey, R. T., Giesting, K., Hall, E., Henry, M., Hughes, M., Miesbauer, J. W., Marcinkowski, K., Ontl, T., Rutledge, A., Scott, L., & Swanston, C. W. (2021). Climate adaptation actions for urban forests and human health. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-GTR-203
USGCRP (2018). Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II [Reidmiller, D.R., C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, K.L.M. Lewis, T.K. Maycock, and B.C. Stewart (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, 1515 pp. doi: 10.7930/NCA4.2018.