Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: 1300 households were selected to participate in experiments to evaluate ecological & cultural impact of extensive street tree loss due to infestation by Emerald Ash Borers. Households selection was based on an existing city tree GIS database and field work to match treatment (trees lost) and control (trees not lost) streets by physical, social & economic criteria. Evaluation of human response came from surveys of residents living on affected or unaffected streets. 43% of the sample population responded. Analysis is ongoing. Results address these topics: sense of place, degrees of engagement in urban nature as experienced from home & neighborhood & in helping the ecological recovery process, likelihood of physical participation in habitat creation, intellectual participation, economic participation & community participation. Structural habitat diversity was evaluated for all 1300 properties. Size & permeability of the front yard habitat, running from house to curb was measured on GIS maps with aerial photos. Structural typologies (point, linear, gestalt and planar elements of urban nature) were developed and measured in the field. The Shannon Diversity index summarized the amount of spatial (3D) diversity found in someone's front yard. Presence/absence of street trees did not account for differences in structural diversity among the 1300 front yards so soon after tree removal. Results offer a baseline and template for future study of recovery rates to disturbance in built ecosystems. The structural diversity data set was used for correlation analysis of homeowner response to street tree loss & support of urban nature. The data set is also a key component of proposed research on relationships between residential vegetation and household energy use. The ecological impact of street tree loss was evaluated in terms of soil chemistry changes with a focus on leachable nitrogen in the easement area which held either live street trees or the dead roots of removed trees. Tests on 300 field samples, collected in Fall 2007 and again in Spring 2008 showed no difference in soil texture, total organic matter, or ammonium ions in easement strips regardless of their street tree history. However, nitrate levels were greater in easements where ash trees had been removed. Lawn quality was significantly higher where street trees had been lost. Ecological Society of America/ Society for Ecological Restoration, San Jose CA, August 2007. "Managing Urban Forest Disturbance: Ecological Design for People and the Environment" Ecological Society of America, Milwaukee WI, August 2008. "Adaptation to climate change: Using ecological theory to guide urban planting design" PARTICIPANTS: Through the support period, 12 students (9 graduate level, 3 undergraduates) were trained for field work, lab work, data entry and how to interact with the community. graduate students: Miranda Mumford, Dan Milz, Cara Kappler, Sara Turner, Allison Krueger, Justin Helinga, Pratap Sankar, Vishal Kumar, Rajiv Balasubramanian undergraduate students: Maggie Kantola, Lukas Dereske, Brooke Nanna Key contacts included: City of Ann Arbor: Kay Sicheneder, City Forester; Matthew Naud, Environmental Services head; David Wilburn, Senior GIS Specialist, Joshua Baron, Applications Specialists University of Michigan: Dr. Donald Zak, soil scientist; Dr. Rachel Kaplan, environmental psychologist; David Brenner, U-M web designer TARGET AUDIENCES: The status and results of this project have been disseminated in three sectors- public, government and academic. The public were engaged through a mail in survey about their response to street tree loss and will be engaged further with the opening of the website 'nature for cities'.. Government has been engaged as a working relationship of support (data and contextual information about the community) and information exchange (status of experimental progress and interim results). The academy has been engaged formally through two presentations at a national conferences, less formally through an in-department seminar on this work (Sept 2008), and informally by discussion with colleagues. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The original proposal included an economic component- evaluating the impact of street tree loss on home energy bills. When negotiations with the local energy provider did not seem productive, resources were routed along a new path- research focusing on the development of recommendations for urban garden/ecosystem design in light of the high variation in weather pattern and the gradual warming of the globe as evidenced in the shift (warming) of minimum winter cold temperatures.
Impacts
An approach was developed that combines ecological theory and principles of ecological planting design for an adaptive strategy to buffer the impact of climate change on urban ecosystems. This work supported a greater capacity to make recommendations to citizens on how to best support urban nature and, in particular, the urban forest. An extensive list of commercially-available plant species was amassed and a database of ecological & aesthetic traits deemed to have adaptive value under several scenarios of climate change has been assembled. SERVICES: counseling Counseling - Tree Replanting Strategies Community Meeting, February 8, 2007, Ann Arbor MI My presentation described ongoing efforts to understand the response of the community to extensive street tree loss. The audience included people from city government and local non-profit environmental groups working to improve the city's urban forest. The city plans to use the results of the street tree loss survey to inform their strategic plans for urban forest renewal. PRODUCTS: Databases - 1) a baseline dataset that documents the structural diversity in the urban forest at the outset of massive tree removal due to insect outbreak. Database serves as a starting point to measure recovery of urban forest in residential neighborhoods over time. 2) a descriptive database for commercially-available plant species that highlights the ecological and aesthetic traits deemed to have adaptive value under several scenarios of climate change has been assembled. Database is being used to make planting design recommendations in urban settings, and as a teaching tool for a graduate planting design class. 3) Collaborations fostered - In response to ESA presentation, Dr. Mitch Pavao-Zuckerman, soil scientist at Univ. Arizona, offered to collaborate to extend the scope of the urban forest soils study. He is completing an analysis of nematode diversity in the urban soils of easement areas experiencing street tree removal (but not dead roots) compared to easement areas with living trees and their roots. IMPACTS: change in knowledge, actions, or conditions Results of research were delivered to a professional audience at several conferences and in several papers (see EVENTS above). Research results are being reformatted for the public and at - http://sitemaker.umich.edu/ecological.designforcities, currently under construction. The website is being formulated to effectively engage homeowners, landscape professionals, and government decision makers alike by its relevance, clarity and visual appeal. Information will be presented to make clear the value of urban forest ecosystem services to quality of life, environmental health and economic well being.
Publications
- Hunter, M.C .and Hunter, M.D. 2008. Designing for conservation of insects in the built environment. Insect Conservation and Diversity. 1(4): 189-196.
- Hunter, M.C . 2008. Managing Sense of Place in Transition: Coping with Climate Change. PLACES 20(2): 20-25.
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Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The products of this research reached the scientific and citizen community through a series of formal presentations at national science conferences, publication, and informally through local seminars, and the development of collaborative networks within the university and the community. Formal presentations included a symposium presentation at the Ecological Society of America/ Society for Ecological Restoration meeting in San Jose CA, August 2007 ("Managing Urban Forest Disturbance: Ecological Design for People and the Environment" ) and presentation ("Adaptation to climate change: Using ecological theory to guide urban planting design") in August 2008. Outputs also included a presentation at the Tree Replanting Strategies Community Meeting in Ann Arbor, MI, February 2007. The presentation described ongoing efforts to understand the response of the community to extensive street tree loss. The audience included people from city government and local non-profit environmental groups working to improve the city's urban forest. The city plans to use the results of the street tree loss survey to inform their strategic plans for urban forest renewal. Research results are being reformatted for the public and at - http://sitemaker.umich.edu/ecological.designforcities, currently under construction. The website is being formulated to effectively engage homeowners, landscape professionals, and government decision makers alike by its relevance, clarity and visual appeal. Information will be presented to make clear the value of urban forest ecosystem services to quality of life, environmental health and economic well being. PARTICIPANTS: MaryCarol Hunter, PI. Through the support period, 12 students (9 graduate level, 3 undergraduates) were trained for field work, lab work, data entry and how to interact with the community. These included graduate students: Miranda Mumford, Dan Milz, Cara Kappler, Sara Turner, Allison Krueger, Justin Helinga, Pratap Sankar, Vishal Kumar, Rajiv Balasubramanian and undergraduate students: Maggie Kantola, Lukas Dereske, Brooke Nanna All of the work involved collaboration with city government, local non-profit organizations, and the citizens of Ann Arbor. Our exchange of information and expertise was fueled by the common purpose of improving the status of urban nature. Key participants included- City of Ann Arbor: Kay Sicheneder, City Forester; Matthew Naud, Environmental Services head; David Wilburn, Senior GIS Specialist, Joshua Baron, Applications Specialists; University of Michigan- Dr. Donald Zak, soil scientist; Dr. Rachel Kaplan, environmental psychologist; David Brenner, U-M web designer. TARGET AUDIENCES: The status and results of this project have been disseminated in three sectors- public, government and academic. The public were engaged through a mail in survey about their response to street tree loss and will be engaged further with the opening of the website `nature for cities'. Government has been engaged as a working relationship of support (data and contextual information about the community) and information exchange (status of experimental progress and interim results). The academy has been engaged formally through two presentations at a national conferences, less formally through an in-department seminar on this work (Sept 2008), and informally by discussion with colleagues. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The original proposal included an economic component- evaluating the impact of street tree loss on home energy bills. When negotiations with the local energy provider did not seem productive, resources were routed along a new path- research focusing on the development of recommendations for urban garden/ecosystem design in light of the high variation in weather pattern and the gradual warming of the globe as evidenced in the shift (warming) of minimum winter cold temperatures.
Impacts
This research investigated the ecological and psychological impact of extensive street tree loss due to an insect outbreak on the natural and human community. 1) We developed a 4-page survey for homeowners on response to street tree loss, developed a sampling plan to best represent the community and sent the survey to 1300 selected households. The mailed survey (IRB approved) had a 43% return. Data analysis is ongoing and its result address these topics: sense of place (a psychological measure about security, attachment, contentment), degree of engagement in urban nature as experienced from home & neighborhood, degree of engagement or interest in helping the ecological recovery process, likelihood of physical participation in habitat creation (spending time, getting dirty), intellectual participation (using educational materials that may alter perception & action), economic participation (spending money on tree installation & habitat improvement) and community participation (neighborhood and nearby park tree re-planting or habitat enhancement). 2) As an analogue of biodiversity, structural habitat diversity was evaluated for all 1300 residential properties. The size and permeability of the front yard habitat, running from house to curb was measured on GIS maps with aerial photos. Structural typologies (point, linear, gestalt and planar elements of urban nature) were developed and measured in the field. The Shannon Diversity index summarized the amount of spatial (3D) diversity found in someone's front yard. Presence/ absence of street trees did not account for differences in structural diversity among the 1300 front yards so soon after tree removal. However, the results offer a baseline and a template for future study of recovery rates to disturbance in built ecosystems (Hunter 2007). 3) An analysis of soil profile and nitrogen mobility in easement area- land between street and sidewalk, showed a) no difference in soil texture, total organic matter, or ammonium ions regardless of their street tree history but b) nitrate levels were greater in easements where ash trees had been removed as was lawn quality. 4) Work was begun on recommendations for urban garden/ecosystem design in light of climate change. An extensive list of commercially-available plant species was assembled and a database of ecological and aesthetic traits deemed to have adaptive value under several scenarios of climate change is in development. 5) Translation of research results for the public on a new website is being done to maximize the educational and motivational benefit of new insights about the relationship between people and their urban ecosystems with an emphasis on the role of trees.
Publications
- Hunter, M.C .and Hunter, M.D. 2008. Designing for conservation of insects in the built environment. Insect Conservation and Diversity. 1(4): 189-196. Hunter, M.C . 2008. Managing Sense of Place in Transition: Coping with Climate Change. PLACES 20(2): 20-25.
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Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: OUTPUTS During my first year, I developed a 4-page survey to assess people's reaction to the loss of street trees, urban nature, and environmental attitudes (IRB vetted). In summer 2007, 1300 households received this mail-in survey. There was a 42% response. Data are entered and ready for analysis. Selection of survey households used an existing city tree GIS database and field work to match treatment and control streets by physical, social and economic criteria. Biodiversity analysis- As an analogue of biodiversity, structural habitat diversity was evaluated for 1300 residential properties. The size and permeability of sampling areas, running from house to curb for each property, was measured on GIS maps with aerial photos. Structural typologies were developed and measured in the field. Soil quality - In preparation for fall 2007 soil sampling, preliminary research was done to determine what soil properties are most likely to show a change in the years immediately following
tree death. An experimental sampling design was developed for soil texture, total organic matter and nitrogen ion leaching in street easement areas. This work is now underway. Water use impact - In summer 2007, the Water Utility Board of the City of Ann Arbor provided data on household water use over the past 3 years for the 1300 households involved in the experiment. In February 2008, they will top up the data with info on water use over the last two quarters of 2007. EVENTS: Conferences, symposia, workshops Symposia presentation - Ecological Society of America, San Jose CA, August 2007 My presentation described overall project goals and an evaluation of structural habitat diversity in people's front yards. This invited talk was part of a symposium titled "Advancing Ecological Function in Managed Ecosystems: Restoring, Revealing, and Re-inventing the Landscape". SERVICES: counseling Counseling - Tree Replanting Strategies Community Meeting, February 8, 2007, Ann Arbor MI My
presentation described ongoing efforts to understand the response of the community to extensive street tree loss. The audience included people from city government and local non-profit environmental groups working to improve the city's urban forest. The city plans to use the results of the street tree loss survey to inform their strategic plans for urban forest renewal. PRODUCTS: Databases - I've developed a baseline dataset that documents the structural diversity in the urban forest at the outset of massive tree removal due to an outbreak of the Emerald Ash Borer. With this database as a starting point, it is possible to document recovery of urban forest in residential neighborhoods over time. Collaborations fostered - In response to ESA presentation, Dr. Mitch Pavao-Zuckerman, soil scientist at Univ. Arizona, offered to collaborate to extend the scope of the urban forest soils study. We are now working to see if nematode diversity drops in the urban soils of easement areas
experiencing street tree removal (but not dead roots) compared to easement areas with living trees and their roots.
PARTICIPANTS: Student training - Over the past year, 7 students (5 graduate level, 2 undergraduates) were trained for field work, lab work, data entry and how to interact with the community. Graduate students included Miranda Mumford, Dan Milz., Cara Kappler, Sara Turner, and Allison Krueger. Undergraduate students included: Maggie Kantola and Lukas Dereske. Key contacts included: City of Ann Arbor: Kay Sicheneder, City Forester; Matthew Naud, Environmental Services head; David Wilburn, Senior GIS Specialist, Joshua Baron, Applications Specialists University of Michigan: Dr. Donald Zak, soil scientist; Dr. Rachel Kaplan, environmental psychologist
TARGET AUDIENCES: The status and results of this project have been disseminated in three sectors- public, government and academic. Over the past year the public were engaged through a mail in survey about their response to street tree loss. Government has been engaged as a working relationship of support (data and contextual information about the community) and information exchange (status of experimental progress and interim results). The academy has been engaged formally through a presentation at a national conference and informally by discussion with colleagues and the development of a new collaboration to extend the project a bit further than originally anticipated.
PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Only one addition: Near the end of the project's first year of support, I established a collaborative relationship with a soil scientist, Dr. Mitchell Pavao-Zuckerman (University of Arizona) who is a nematode specialist hoping to do more work in urban forest settings. He was supplied with soil samples in late September and these will be analyzed (at his expense) in the coming months. We will repeat this sampling and analysis in late Spring 2008.
Impacts
Although this project is still quite in the midst of data collection and analysis, there have been impacts in both academic and public arenas. My choice of topic of the invited symposium talk in August 2007 at the national Ecological Society of America conference was encouraged, despite the fact that the symposium organizers knew the talk would be about a work in progress, rather than the typical retrospective of finished work. This is highly unusual. They were interested in this topic because there are still so few examples of how to merge hypothesis-driven experimental work with land use practices and development. The research encompassed by this project is positioned at this unusual junction. In the public arena, the City of Ann Arbor has offered support (e.g. their GIS database on street tree location, domestic water use records). It is my intention and their hope that the results will offer better ways to encourage the community to take on greater roles in
environmental stewardship.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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