Old Growth Urban Forests [Paperback]

Millions of urbanites never see primeval forests during their lives except for the old growth forests found in urban parks. Unfortunately, these forests are on the verge of disappearing because arboreal reproduction is lost to human trampling and park administrators and urban foresters do not maintain these natural forests.
To aid urban foresters and park managers in meeting the challenges, research on old growth forests in urban parks is synthesized in terms of historical ecology to introduce the methods utilized to reveal long-term forest composition changes. The case study of three stands in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA relates pre-chestnut blight tree species densities and post-chestnut blight arboreal changes to fire and visitor trampling. The information gained on how urban old growth forests have developed and changed is used to develop restoration ecology based frameworks to restore species composition and address challenges to forest survival including invasive species.

(1) What and Where Are Old Growth Urban Forests?.- (2) Historical Continuity.- (3) Partnerships, Adaptive Management, and Restoration for Historical Continuity.- Index

From the reviews:

The author seeks to further expand the use of the term old growth to describe certain forests within a metropolitan matrix. & Loebs call for understanding the history, condition, and future of our older urban forests, and managing for their continuity, is important and should be well heeded. & Proper understanding and management of mature and old growth urban forests is necessary for their preservation, and Loebs book offers us an important window to assist in our efforts at effective stewardship for future generations. (Robert James Scheff, Castanea, Vol. 77 (1), March, 2012)

This volume deals with a topic which is very interesting for a deeper understanding of the evolution and the present meaning of old growth urblã*