From private yards to public benefits: How human dimensions shape the urban forest in a small city

Well managed urban forests provide many benefits, such as decreasing heat island effects, reducing air pollution, and increasing property values. Urban forests are distributed throughout cities, but large portions can be located on private property. Understanding how residents decide to plant and remove trees can inform efforts to spur the growth and protection of urban forests. We surveyed 548 Camrose residents about their tree attitudes and perceptions, environmental attitudes, tree knowledge, and tree planting and removal behaviours. Residents planted 6.0 trees on average, removed 2.7, for a calculated tree net gain of 3.4 on their property. Most tree attitudes and perceptions were positively related to tree planting and tree net gain. Environmental attitudes were not related to any behaviour. Knowledge was positively related to tree planting and removal but not tree net gain. Results also revealed that being male, being older, time living at a property, and owning a home have positive relationships with tree net gain. These findings partially overcome the lack of urban forest studies in small cities, which have received less attention in urban forest literature. The management implications of these findings for the city of Camrose are discussed.