Shading Our Cities.

Shading Our Cities

The trees that matter most in our daily lives are not in forests but in our cities and suburbs. Individually and collectively, they are as important to the character of a community as eyes are to the character of your face. How-to-do-it forestry books, however, are traditionally devoted to rural stands, from woodlots to National Forests. Shading Our Cities is a long-needed guide to urban forestry.

The challenges of growing trees in heavily populated areas are very different than growing them in the average forest. This book begins with the basics, and the basics for urban areas include why cities need trees. The book also includes excellent chapters on the biology of trees written with developers and engineers in mind. These are the people who must provide the first line of defense for good growing conditions.

Shading Our Cities is a book that can be used by a citizen trying to interest local government in developing an urban tree policy or by city and county officials who want to draft development guidelines, hire foresters, and protect existing trees. It's also a good home reference book for the urban dweller. It answers common questions like what species survive best and how much does a tree add to the value of a home? Several appendixes provide quick access to names and addresses of state foresters, names of relevant videotapes, computer software for urban forest record keeping, tree survey forms and, of course, the resources of the American Forestry Association, the book's sponsor.