The Eye of the Storm: Extreme Weather Events and Sustainable Urban Forest Management

Abstract

More people live in cities today than ever before. One indicator of a sustainable urban environment is a full canopy cover. Urban residents value trees for the benefits of improved air quality, provision of shade, and aesthetic purposes, among others. Although urban trees are greatly valued, they are up against environmental challenges. Global climate change threatens urban forests because of the accompanying increase in frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Hurricanes, intense precipitation, windstorms, and ice storms, are included. In Halifax (2003) Hurricane Juan negatively affected the urban forest canopy and some areas have not fully recovered. Similarly, in Vancouver’s Stanley Park (2006 & 2007) an extreme windstorm hit the urban canopy. How can urban forest planners adapt the urban forest to become more resilient in the face of such events?