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The
Urban Forest Effects (UFORE) Model: Field Data Collection Manual |
PDF
(440 kb) |
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David
J. Nowak, Daniel E. Crane, Jack C. Stevens and Robert E. Hoehn
USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station July 2003.
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The
Urban Forest Effects (UFORE) computer model was developed
to help managers and researchers quantify urban forest structure
and functions based on standard inputs of field, meteorological
and pollution data. |
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Iowa
Odor Control Demonstration Project |
PDF
(228 kb) |
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Iowa
State University, 1998.
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An
Iowa State University research project is evaluating how landscaping
can help to control odors from livestock operations, in addition
to providing visual isolation and aesthetic enhancement. |
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Improving
Fire Hazard Assessment in South Lake Tahoe, CA |
PDF
(54 kb) |
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Lisa
de Jong, Fire Management Today, vol. 63, no. 2, 35-40 Spring
2003.
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The
combination of small lot size and landscape preferences can
impede individual and community fire hazard mitigation. South
Lake Tahoe is at high fire risk due to the reluctance of homeowners
to provide defensible space, maintain and irrigate their property,
and use fire-safe construction materials. |
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Ecology
for a Crowded Planet |
PDF
(341 kb) |
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Science,
Vol 304, Issue 5675, 1251-1252 , 28 May 2004.
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Within
the next 50 to 100 years, support and maintenance of an extended
human family of 8 to 11 billion people will become difficult
at best. Our consumption rates already exceed the supply of
many resources crucial to human health, and few places on
Earth do not bear the stamp of human impacts. Studying the
few and rapidly shrinking undisturbed ecosystems is important,
but now is the time to focus on an ecology for the future.
A research perspective that incorporates human activities
as integral components of Earth's ecosystems is needed, as
is a focus on a future in which Earth's life support systems
are maintained while human needs are met. |
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Enviroscaping |
PDF (65kb) |
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Joan Bradshaw and Linda Tozer, University of Florida, 1993. |
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Research indicates that shade has a dramatic effect on ground temperatures. When shaded, ground temperatures were found to drop an average of 36 degrees in only 5 minutes. Studies have also shown that temperatures on a forest floor can be as much as 25 degrees cooler than those recorded at the tree tops. You can create similar effects in your home landscape with careful planning and design. |
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A Guide to Selecting Existing Vegetation for Low-energy Landscapes |
PDF (25kb) |
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Mitchell Flinchum, University of Florida,June 1990. |
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Existing vegetation can be helpful to the low-energy, low-maintenance landscaping concept. Landscaping with plants that would grow naturally conserves energy by limiting the need for pesticides, fertilizers and water, all of which require fossil fuels for processing and delivery. While the use of existing vegetation for low-energy landscaping may not be right for all sites, the concept should be evaluated before construction activities begin. |
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Tomorrow's
Energy Today for Cities and Counties: Cooling our Cities |
PDF (86kb) |
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U.S. Department of Energy, Nov. 1993. |
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One of the simplest and cheapest strategies for countering the urban heat island effect is to increase the number of trees and other plants. Vegetation cools directly by shading and indirectly through evapo-transpiration, the process by which plants release water vapor. |
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Landscaping for Energy Efficiency |
PDF (450kb) |
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U.S. Department of Energy, Factsheet 1995. |
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Carefully positioned trees can reduce household energy consumption for heating and cooling by up to 25%. Computer models from the U.S. Department of Energy estimate that three properly placed trees can save an average household between $100 and $250 in heating and cooling energy costs annually. A tree shading an outdoor air conditioner unit can increase its efficiency by as much as 10%. |
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Arizona Public Service Company, 1990, Factsheet |
PDF (24kb) |
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According to the U.S. Department of Energy, if your home is not already shaded you can reduce your air conditioning costs by 15% or more by adding a well-planned landscape. This is accomplished by using trees and bushes to block the sun from windows and walls; reducing air temperatures outside the home with properly placed shade trees; and planting groundcovers, trees, and shrubs to reduce the heat reflected from the ground to walls and windows. Shrubs and vines planted next to the house provide year-round insulation by creating an air space. |
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Fertile Ground |
PDF (179kb) |
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Chris Taylor. SmartMoney.com. March 3, 2003.
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By spending 5% of the value of your home on the installation of a quality low-maintenance landscape, you could boost the resale value by 15%, earning back 150% or more of your landscape investment. |
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Trees, Parking and Green Law: Strategies for Sustainability |
PDF (2.7mb) |
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Kathleen L. Wolf. Georgia Forestry Commission, Urban and Community Forestry.
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Parking lots occupy about 10 percent overall of the land in U.S. cities, and can be as much as 20 to 30 percent of downtown core areas. This report searches to understand how trees and the urban forest can mitigate parking area impacts. It provides an overview of current scientific knowledge regarding trees and parking areas, considers the purpose of code and law, traces the history of urban green law and presents the latest legal innovations. |
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