A new USDA Forest Service study projects that urban land in Lower 48 states will more than double between 2010 and 2060, which will affect forest and agricultural lands that are being converted to urban uses as well as expand the importance of urban forests in relation to environmental quality and human well-being.

A USDA Forest Service study published in the Journal of Forestry, "U.S. Urban Forest Statistics, Values and Projections," estimates change in urban land on a national level and state-by-state, and also updates data on the value of the nation's urban forests.

Urban land increased from 2.6 percent (58 million acres) in 2000 to 3 percent (68 million acres) in 2010; states with the greatest amount of urban growth were in the South/Southeast (Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina).

Researchers anticipate that between 2010 and 2060, urban land will increase 95.5 million acres to 163 million acres (8.6 percent), an area roughly the size of Montana. Eighteen states are projected to have an increase of over 2 million acres of urban land.

In addition to assessing change in urban areas, lead author David Nowak of the USDA Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis Program also updated previous estimates of the size of the nation's urban forests, which contribute to the health of urban populations by producing billions of dollars in annual benefits associated with air quality, climate change and reduced energy use.

In previous research, Nowak has found that the health impacts of urban forests across the nation include the avoidance of 670 incidences of human mortality and 575,000 incidences of acute respiratory symptoms, among other health impacts.

Nationally, U.S. urban forests contain an estimated 5.5 billion trees (39.4 percent tree cover) that produce at least $18 billion in benefits to society.

"Urbanization and urban forests are likely to be one the most important forest influences and influential forests of the 21st Century," said Nowak. "A healthy and well-managed urban forest can help reduce some of the environmental issues associated with urbanization such as increased air temperatures and energy use, reduced air and water quality, and increased human stress, and ultimately help people living within and around urban areas."

States with the greatest percent urban land are all along the northeastern Atlantic coast, with large populations and relatively small state area: New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Delaware. The impact of current urban forests is likely greatest in these areas due to the relatively large proportion of urban land.

In each of the states with the greatest amount of projected urban land growth (California, Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania), the increase in urban land over the 50-year period is greater than the land area of Connecticut (3 million acres).

"Research by the USDA Forest Service is informing cities and communities as they make decisions about managing urban forests," said Tony Ferguson, Director of the USDA Forest Service's Northern Research Station and the Forest Products Laboratory. "By measuring and monitoring urban forests, society can better understand the value urban forests deliver, and how urban forests and their role in reducing pollution and reducing energy costs changes over time."

The study is available through the USDA Forest Service's Northern Research Station here

Related Links
USDA Forest Service - Northern Research Station
Forestry News - Global and Local News, Science and Application

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Areas where homes, forests mix increased rapidly over two decades
Newtown Square PA (SPX) Mar 14, 2018
Homes and forests intersect in the wildland-urban interface, or WUI, a geography that now includes one-third of all homes in the United States within just 10 percent of the nation's land area. For the first time, scientists with the USDA Forest Service and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have been able to track change in the nation's WUI over a 20-year period, revealing that new WUI area expanded by more than 46 million acres, an area that is larger than Washington State. Both the number of ho ... read more