Leaf Area Density as an urban forestry planning and management tool

Abstract

Many of the benefits that we derive from urban forests are directly or indirectly related to the leaf area of the forest. If we are to consider these multiple benefits at the level of the forest, the use of Leaf Area Density (LAD) provides some advantages over other often used measures. Since many factors in the urban landscape can limit leaf area, Potential Leaf Area Density (PLAD) can provide a measure of the upper limit to leaf area density. Using these two measures, urban forest planners and managers can integrate many of the issues associated with broader aspects of the structure and benefits of the forest under their jurisdiction. Some planning, policy, and educational applications of LAD and PLAD are discussed.Key words: urban forestry management and planning, leaf area density Plusieurs de benefices que nous retirons des for& urbaines sont directement et indirectement relikes 2 la superficie de la couverture foliaire des for& Si nous consideons ces nombreux benefices au niveau de la foret, l'utilisation de la densit6 de la couverture foliaire (DCF) apporte certains avantages par rapport aux autres mesures souvent utilis6es. Puisque plusieurs facteurs du paysage urbain peuvent limiter la surface de la couverture foliaire, la densite potentielle de la couverture foliaire (DPCF) peut constituer une mesure du niveau supkrieur de la densite de la couverture foliaire. En utilisant ces deux mesures, les gestionnaires et les arnknagistes des for& urbaines peuvent integrer plusieurs des questions associees aux aspects plus gCn6raux de la structure et des benefices des for& sous leur juridiction. Quelques applications du DCF et du DPCF en matikre de planification, de politique et d'enseignement sont discutees.Mots-cl6s: amenagement et planification des for& urbaines, densite de la couverture foliaire

A conceptual framework of urban forest ecosystem vulnerability

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Can you see green? Assessing the visibility of urban forests in cities

“…It was shown by Nowak (1994b) that air pollution reduction by urban forests is directly related to their total leaf surface areas. Other indices, such as the canopy cover (Scott et al, 1998), total leaf biomass (Nowak and Crane, 2002), leaf area index (Xiao et al, 2000), leaf area density (Kenney, 2000), and green plot ratio (Ong, 2003), can also be related to the various instrumental functions of urban forests. Those indices can be obtained objectively by using field surveys or image interpretation techniques in any urban forests.…”

A forested urban park : what is the value of Allan Gardens to the City of Toronto?

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