Sponsor
This research was funded by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científco e Tecnológico (CNPq), grant number: 221077/2014-6—LASPAU—Brasil/CNPq—GDE—EUA; and by the US Forest Service’s National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Grant (17-DG-11132544-014) and the Robert Wood Johnson Climate and Health project.
Published In
Land
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-2021
Subjects
Climatic changes -- Effect of human beings on, Urban heat island, Urban climatology, Sustainable development
Abstract
Municipalities worldwide are increasingly recognizing the importance of urban green spaces to mitigate climate change’s extreme effects and improve residents’ quality of life. Even with extensive earlier research examining the distribution of tree canopy in cities, we know little about human perceptions of urban forestry and related ecosystem services. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the variations in socioeconomic indicators and public perceptions by asking how neighborhood trees and socioeconomic indicators mediate public perceptions of ecosystem services availability. Using Portland, Oregon (USA) as our case study, we assessed socioeconomic indicators, land cover data, and survey responses about public perceptions of neighborhood trees. Based on over 2500 survey responses, the results indicated a significant correlation among tree canopy, resident income, and sense of ownership for urban forestry. We further identified the extent to which the absence of trees amplifies environmental injustices and challenges for engaging communities with landscape management. The results suggested that Portland residents are aware of tree maintenance challenges, and the inclusion of cultural ecosystem services can better address existing environmental injustices. Our assessment of open-ended statements suggested the importance of conducting public outreach to identify specific priorities for a community-based approach to urban forestry.
Rights
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Locate the Document
DOI
10.3390/land10010048
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/34894
Citation Details
Alves Carvalho Nascimento, L., & Shandas, V. (2021). Integrating Diverse Perspectives for Managing Neighborhood Trees and Urban Ecosystem Services in Portland, OR (US). Land, 10(1), 48.