You are here:
From the litter up and the sky down: Perspectives on urban forest structure and eco-hydrological processes (presentation)
Citation:
Ossola, A. AND M. Hopton. From the litter up and the sky down: Perspectives on urban forest structure and eco-hydrological processes (presentation). Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation Seminar Series, Blacksburg, VA, March 17, 2017.
Impact/Purpose:
Urban forest structure, as similarly observed in rural forests, affects key ecological and hydrological processes as well as the plethora of organisms regulating these processes.
Description:
The structure of the urban forest represents the complex product of local biophysical conditions, socio-economic milieu, people preferences and management with rare counterparts in rural forests. However, urban forest structure, as similarly observed in rural forests, affects key ecological and hydrological processes as well as the plethora of organisms regulating these processes. This seminar talk will firstly present key mechanisms regulating urban eco-hydrological processes “from a litter up” perspective. In particular, fine scale effects of urban forest structure upon i) organic matter decomposition, and comminution, ii) community-assembly of decomposers, detritivores, and ecosystem engineers (i.e. bacteria, litter-dwelling macrofauna, ants), and iii) stormwater runoff infiltration and interception will be discussed. The second part of this intervention will look at the structure of the urban forest “from a sky down” perspective. Recent findings from large scale LiDAR investigations will be presented to discuss social and biophysical drivers affecting urban forest structure at sub-continental scale, as well as short-term tree loss dynamics across residential landscapes, and how these can potentially affect eco-hydrological processes at large scale.
