I defend my thesis tomorrow, Tuesday, May 8 at 4pm. Here is the title and abstract if you are so interested.
City Center Street Tree Composition and Health: A Case Study of the Historical and Future Sustainability of the Urban Forest in Petrozavodsk, Russia
Abstract
Petrozavodsk is one of Russia’s loveliest cities with extensive parks and tree-lined avenues. The street tree component of the urban forest in the city center has contributed to a high quality of life in the city. However, present and future threats to the sustainability of the street tree resource exist, placing this high quality of life in jeopardy. In light of increasing urbanization trends, particularly in the Russian Federation, this paper presents the threats to this resource by focusing on three elements: 1) The results of a city center street tree composition and health inventory, which provides evidence that the street trees are aging, in poor health, and are not being replaced; 2) A review of the historical events and trends, characterized by destructive episodes, periods of limited resources, and changing political conditions that have led to the current tree composition and health; 3) The first two elements coupled with a recent city wide tree topping event and the trend of increasing automobile use are used as a framework to discuss the future sustainability of the cities urban forest resource. We conclude that the interaction of the biological characteristics such as species choice, lack of species diversity, disease susceptibility, and age structure of the population of the street trees combined with the impact of human actions such as topping and automobile use on these street trees, are and will be contributing factors in the current and future sustainability of the street tree resource. Ultimately, the politicians and citizens of Petrozavodsk are facing a decision, “pave paradise, and put up a parking lot” or act to guarantee that future generations will come to know Petrozavodsk as “one of Russia’s most beautiful cities,” a city of trees.
I am looking forward to it . . .being done that is and moving on with life. After, that it is one more exam and then full-time farming! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
Dan
