Urban Forestry in Australia edit
Australian urban forestry involves the care and management of single trees and tree populations throughout urban Australia, ameliorating the livability of cities in the country. The establishment and progression of urban forestry in Australia has helped alleviate impacts of the country's harsh climatic conditions in urban areas. The present focus is on improving tree species adaptability, resiliency, and diversity to continue providing similar benefits in a future of increasingly harsh climatic conditions.
History edit
Australia's urban forestry history includes three time periods of urban forestry efforts. The first period, "forest in a city", refers to when urban forestry accompanied a resurgent focus on environmental values in the 1970s. Forests were primarily implemented and managed to improve recreation, aesthetics and provide jobs. Many efforts to implement urban forestry in Australia were stimulated by John French, drawing inspiration from ongoing efforts in North America. Australia's understanding of urban forestry evolved during the second time period to include all spaces used by the urban population. Known as a "city forest" this vision of urban forestry incorporated the economic value of urban trees and a focus on ecosystem services. The third and present period in Australia's urban forestry history is known as "city in a forest", and considers the ongoing efforts to include urban forestry as a solution to environmental and health problems[1].
Climate challenges and urban forestry edit
Complications of global climate change are exacerbated within certain regions of Australia based on location and exposure to climate factors. Australia is susceptible to variable climatic intensities due to the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), a dynamic circulation pattern promoting warm and dry conditions via cold front redirection. Such conditions intensify standalone climate change challenges, particularly throughout the southern half of Australia[2]. Since nearly 90% of Australians inhabit urban areas, adaptable, efficient and cost-effective methods of climate change mitigation may limit negative human consequences [3]. Establishing, maintaining and retaining trees and shrubs in the urban environment is a nature-based solution with potential to mitigate some impacts that climate change has on Australia's urban population. Municipalities in Australia are exploring the benefits of urban forestry for their regional needs.
Canberra edit
A 2020 study of Australia's capital, Canberra, explored opportunities that living infrastructure could provide to mitigate conditions like increasing temperature and drought. The authors identified urban forests as one of four kinds of living infrastructure with potential to provide ecosystems services like cooling, carbon sequestration and improved livability[4]. While hopeful that a high quality urban forest can provide these benefits, the authors emphasized the importance of planning and collaboration across diverse stakeholders for successful implementation[5].
Adelaide edit
Adelaide, located in South Australia's driest state, examined the potential of green roofs to combat the urban heat island effect. The study found significant reductions in temperature and electricity usage and cost when an addition of 30% green roofs were made. Researchers concluded that green roofs and similar green infrastructure have potential to mitigate urban heat island effects in this region[6].
However, climate change impacts also bring challenges to the existing urban forest. A study in 2019 for 22 southeastern Australian suburbs showed that over half (53%) of the existing tree species were considered vulnerable to heat and/or moisture stress[7]. A study of 2017 tree health decline in Melbourne found significant negative relationships between tree health and climate conditions for every species studied. Researchers concluded that drought was the primary factor inducing decline, increasing tree vulnerability to secondary stressors like pests. Researchers emphasized a need for planting trees that are better suited to the region, given predictions of hotter and drier conditions in the coming years[8].
Ongoing efforts edit
Australian cities have outlined urban forestry initiatives and visions to guide future regulation of climate change challenges, as seen in the 2014 Urban Forestry Strategy Guide[9]. Cities have set goals to double tree canopy coverage and encourage tree species biodiversity by monitoring taxonomic composition of urban forests [10].
References edit
Notes edit
- ^ Jones, Ryan; Instone, Lesley (2016). "Becoming-urban, becoming-forest: a historical geography of urban forest projects in Australia: A historical geography of urban forest projects in Australia". Geographical Research. 54 (4): 433–445. doi:10.1111/1745-5871.12177.
- ^ Gergis, Joëlle; Henley, Benjamin J. (2017). "Southern Hemisphere rainfall variability over the past 200 years". Climate Dynamics. 48 (7–8): 2087–2105. doi:10.1007/s00382-016-3191-7. ISSN 0930-7575.
- ^ The risks to Australia of a 3°C warmer world. Australian Academy of Science. 2021. pp. 7–52.
- ^ Alexandra, Jason; Norman, Barbara (2020). "The city as forest - integrating living infrastructure, climate conditioning and urban forestry in Canberra, Australia". Sustainable Earth. 3 (1): 10. doi:10.1186/s42055-020-00032-3. ISSN 2520-8748.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ Ordóñez, Camilo (2021). "Governance lessons from Australian local governments for retaining and protecting urban forests as nature based solutions". Nature-Based Solutions. 1: 100004. doi:10.1016/j.nbsj.2021.100004.
- ^ Razzaghmanesh, Mostafa; Beecham, Simon; Salemi, Telma (2016). "The role of green roofs in mitigating Urban Heat Island effects in the metropolitan area of Adelaide, South Australia". Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 15: 89–102. doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2015.11.013.
- ^ Esperon‐Rodriguez, Manuel; Power, Sally A.; Tjoelker, Mark G.; Beaumont, Linda J.; Burley, Hugh; Caballero‐Rodriguez, Dayenari; Rymer, Paul D. (2019). "Assessing the vulnerability of Australia's urban forests to climate extremes". PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET. 1 (4): 387–397. doi:10.1002/ppp3.10064. ISSN 2572-2611.
- ^ Nitschke, Craig R.; Nichols, Scott; Allen, Kathy; Dobbs, Cynnamon; Livesley, Stephen J.; Baker, Patrick J.; Lynch, Yvonne (2017). "The influence of climate and drought on urban tree growth in southeast Australia and the implications for future growth under climate change". Landscape and Urban Planning. 167: 275–287. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2017.06.012.
- ^ Urban Forest Strategy - Making a Great City Greener 2012-2032. City of Melbourne. 2014. pp. 9–28.
- ^ Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Refresh. City of Melbourne. 2017. pp. 6–33.
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