Dowtin Asia L, Hunt Indya B J
Michigan State University, Department of Forestry, 480 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
Michigan State University, Department of Forestry, 480 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA; USDA Forest Service, 515 Delaware St, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
J Environ Manage. 2025 Apr;380:124760. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124760. Epub 2025 Mar 12.
Plans for resilient urban forests are rooted in principles of urban forest biodiversity, begin with comprehensive inventories of urban tree cover, and are often laid out in urban forest management plans. However, there are no universal standards with which tree inventory data are presented in urban forest management plans, making it challenging to assess and compare urban forest biodiversity and resilience within and among municipalities. Using Michigan, USA as a pilot study, we developed the Tree Diversity Reporting Index (TDRI) as a tool to determine which urban forest diversity metrics were reported in urban forest management plans, the comprehensiveness with which these metrics were reported, and emerging trends in urban forest composition across the state. Findings indicate that the most frequently reported metrics were species composition, size distribution, and condition rating. However, there was significant variability in how comprehensively these data were reported, and in the provision of rationale behind some of the classification systems used to report these data. Regarding urban forest composition, there was an overabundance of Acer (maple genus) across the state. In most municipalities, the majority of trees are in fair or better condition, with age structure generally varying between predominantly juvenile or predominantly maturing trees. Use of the TDRI may be beneficial in providing a baseline standard for which tree diversity metrics are reported in urban forest management plans. This may be helpful as a growing number of new stakeholders are engaging in efforts to establish, manage, and benefit from resilient urban forests.
具有韧性的城市森林规划基于城市森林生物多样性原则，始于对城市树木覆盖情况的全面清查，且通常在城市森林管理计划中予以阐述。然而，城市森林管理计划中呈现树木清查数据并无通用标准，这使得评估和比较各城市内部及相互之间的城市森林生物多样性和韧性颇具挑战。以美国密歇根州作为试点研究，我们开发了树木多样性报告指数（TDRI），作为一种工具来确定城市森林管理计划中报告了哪些城市森林多样性指标、这些指标报告的全面程度，以及该州城市森林构成的新趋势。研究结果表明，最常报告的指标是物种组成、大小分布和健康状况评级。然而，这些数据报告的全面程度以及用于报告这些数据的一些分类系统背后的理由阐述存在显著差异。关于城市森林构成，全州范围内槭树（槭属）数量过多。在大多数城市，大多数树木状况良好或更佳，年龄结构通常在以幼树为主或以成熟树为主之间变化。使用TDRI可能有助于为城市森林管理计划中报告的树木多样性指标提供一个基线标准。随着越来越多的新利益相关者参与到建立、管理具有韧性的城市森林并从中受益的努力中，这可能会有所帮助。
