Publication Details

Year Published

2020

Publication

Urban Ecosystems

Abstract

We introduce a conceptual model of the urban forest patch as a complex social-ecological system, incorporating cross-scale interactions. We developed this model through an interdisciplinary process engaging social and ecological scientists and urban land management decision makers, with a focus on temperate forest social-ecological systems. In this paper, we place the production and management of urban forest patches in historical perspective, present a conceptual model of urban forest patches within a broader regional context, and identify a series of research questions to highlight future directions for research on urban forest patches. This conceptual model identifies how spatial and temporal social-ecological drivers interact with patch-level conditions at multiple scales. Our integrative approach can provide insights into the role of social-ecological drivers in shaping forest health, biodiversity, and benefits forest patches provide to people in urban and urbanizing regions, with direct implications for decision-making to improve management outcomes.

Keywords

Citation

Johnson, Lea R.; Johnson, Michelle L.; Aronson, Myla F. J.; Campbell, Lindsay K.; Carr, Megan E.; Clarke, Mysha; D’Amico, Vincent; Darling, Lindsay; Erker, Tedward; Fahey, Robert T.; King, Kristen L.; Lautar, Katherine; Locke, Dexter H.; Morzillo, Anita T.; Pincetl, Stephanie; Rhodes, Luke; Schmit, John Paul; Scott, Lydia; Sonti, Nancy F. 2020. Conceptualizing social-ecological drivers of change in urban forest patches. Urban Ecosystems. 125: 254-. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-020-00977-5.