scholarly journals Urban foraging for food security and sovereignty: quantifying edible forest yield in Syracuse, New York using four common fruit- and nut-producing street tree species

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Avalon Bunge ◽  
Stewart A W Diemont ◽  
John A Bunge ◽  
Stephen Harris
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Street Tree

Street Tree Diversity in Massachusetts, USA

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-43
Author(s):  
F.D. Cowett ◽  
Nina Bassuk
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Tree Diversity ◽  
Asian Longhorned Beetle ◽  
Street Trees ◽  
Tree Population ◽  
Tree Inventory ◽  
Street Tree ◽  
Tree Survival ◽  
Considerable Work

Pests, disease, and climate change pose major challenges to street tree survival, and diversity in tree species and genera is widely considered to promote the sustainability of municipal street tree populations. Conversely, the lack of sufficient diversity in street tree population was judged a contributing factor in the death and removal of thousands of street trees in Worcester, Massachusetts, that state’s second most populous city, due to an infestation of the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB, Anoplophora glabripennis). Therefore, reducing the dominance of prevalent street tree species and genera and increasing tree species and genera diversity are considered vital to sustainable street tree management and to the preservation of the ecosystem services and social benefits that street trees provide. This paper assesses street tree diversity in Massachusetts by analyzing a nonrandom sample of collated municipal street tree inventory data stratified by plant hardiness zones. Consistent with results previously found for Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, results in Massachusetts indicate that a relatively small number of species and genera dominate the composition of most municipal street tree populations, including in particular Acer spp. (maple), one of the ALB’s favorite host genera. There is accordingly a need for greater species and genus diversity in municipal street tree populations statewide. While there may be a trend towards increased street tree diversity and reduction in the dominance of Acer spp., considerable work remains to be done.

Is Street Tree Diversity Increasing in New York State, USA?

2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 196-213
Author(s):  
F.D. Cowett ◽  
N.L. Bassuk
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
New York State ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Tree Diversity ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Street Trees ◽  
York State ◽  
Street Tree

Diversity in tree populations is viewed as essential for protecting the public investment in urban trees and for preserving the environmental, social, and economic benefits that these trees provide. It is therefore crucial for officials responsible for the management of municipal trees to know the diversity of their municipal tree populations and whether their efforts to increase diversity have been effective or should be modified. We assessed street tree diversity in New York State, USA by analyzing municipal street tree inventory data from two data sets, the first comprised of 75 inventories collated from municipalities, and the second comprised of 32 sets of inventories conducted at multiple points in time. This analysis builds on two previous papers containing similar assessments by analyzing more current data and by calculating diversity index statistics and relative abundance percentages for prevalent street tree species and genera. Findings indicate that there has been substantial progress to increase street tree diversity in New York State. This progress is correlated with reductions in the dominance of Norway maple (Acer platanoides), the state’s most prevalent street tree species (17% of street trees statewide), and in the dominance of maple (Acer), the state’s most prevalent street tree genus (35% of street trees statewide). Work remains to be done to further increase species and genus diversity so as to meet the challenges posed to municipal street tree populations by invasive pests and climate change. Strategies are proposed for accomplishing this.

Forest age and management effects on epiphytic bryophyte communities in Adirondack northern hardwood forests, New York, U.S.A.

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (9) ◽  
pp. 1562-1576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory G McGee ◽  
Robin W Kimmerer
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Large Diameter ◽  
Hardwood Forests ◽  
Host Tree ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Northern Hardwood Forests ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Host Tree Species

The objective of this study was to assess the influence of substrate heterogeneity on epiphytic bryophyte communities in northern hardwood forests of varying disturbance histories. Specifically, we compared bryophyte abundance (m2·ha–1) and community composition among partially cut; maturing, 90- to 100-year-old, even-aged; and old-growth northern hardwood stands in Adirondack Park, New York, U.S.A. Total bryophyte cover from 0 to 1.5 m above ground level on trees [Formula: see text]10 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) did not differ among the three stand types. However, bryophyte community composition differed among host tree species and among stand types. Communities in partially cut and maturing stands were dominated by xerophytic bryophytes (Platygyrium repens, Frullania eboracensis, Hypnum pallescens, Brachythecium reflexum, Ulota crispa), while old-growth stands contained a greater representation of calcicoles and mesophytic species (Brachythecium oxycladon, Anomodon rugelii, Porella platyphylloidea, Anomodon attenuatus, Leucodon brachypus, Neckera pennata). This mesophyte-calcicole assemblage occurred in all stand types but was limited by the abundance of large-diameter (>50 cm DBH), thick-barked, hardwood host trees (Acer saccharum Marsh., Tilia americana L., Fraxinus americana L.). This study suggested that epiphytic bryophyte diversity can be sustained and enhanced in managed northern hardwood forests by maintaining host tree species diversity and retaining large or old, thick-barked residual hardwood stems when applying even-aged and uneven-aged silviculture systems.

scholarly journals Balanites Aegyptiaca (L.): A Multipurpose Fruit Tree in Savanna Zone Of Western Sudan

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamal Eldin Mohammed Fadl
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Saturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Fruit Trees ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Sexual Hormones ◽  
Balanites Aegyptiaca ◽  
Climatic Environment

Underutilized fruit trees play a vital role in food security and economy of the rural population in a number of African countries. Beside the significant important of the underutilized fruit trees in food security and livelihood of the local population many applications can be summarized such as using of leaves for fodder, branches for fencing materials, fire wood and charcoal making, timber for furniture and constructing huts, controlling soil erosion and competing desert encroachments . In spite of their great potential little attention has been given to this species. Balanites aegyptiaca “soap berry tree; thorn tree, desert date” is an important multipurpose trees species in dry land Africa. The tree is a potential source of medicines, pesticides, edible oil, animal feed, nuts, soap, and fuel wood. The edible fruits are rich in saturated fatty acids which are used as cooking oil. The fruit also contains Stereoids (Saponins, Sapogenins, and Disogenins) which are used as row materials for industrial production of contraceptive pills and other sexual hormones. The excessive uses of the tree for fruit production and for other uses combined with scarcity of natural regeneration lead to drastic depletion of this species. The desert date tree is adapted to dry and hot climatic environment which are characterized by increasing of land and water resources. However, little information is available about propagation and domestication of this valuable tree species; therefore, studies are needed for sustainable use of underutilized fruit trees in general and for Balanites aegyptiaca in particular. This article aims at highlighting and summarizing information on different aspect of B. aegyptiaca to stimulate the scientist interest in this valuable tree species which is of economical importance for rural inhabitants of western Sudan and other African countries.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v4i1.12188International Journal of Environment Volume-4, Issue-1, Dec-Feb 2014/15, Page: 197-203   

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