ABSTRACT: The pressures of the Anthropocene threaten the future of humanity: extraction of increasingly limited natural resources; pollution of air and water; loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services; rapidly increasing human populations; all compounded by a changing climate. Urban forests, trees, and greenspace make cities more pleasant and livable places for urban residents. Urban forests produce environmental benefits—e.g., carbon sequestration, stormwater management, air pollution reduction—and economic benefits—e.g., decreased energy costs—that can lessen the impacts of the stressors of the Anthropocene on cities. However, the social benefits of urban forests—e.g., increased social capital and social cohesion, community capacity—can also contribute to the ability of neighborhoods and urban residents to respond to the pressures of the Anthropocene. Social benefits accrue to individuals and groups as a result of trees and greenspace in cities, including benefits resulting from participation in acts of greening. In this talk, I review recent urban forestry research to make a case for how the social benefits of urban forestry contribute to the sustainability and resilience of urban areas in the Anthropocene.
Wednesday April 11, 2018 2:45pm - 3:00pm CDT
Spire Parlor