What is the purpose of an urban ecological assessment?
The purpose of an urban ecological assessment is to provide a detailed look into the economic and ecological characteristics and values of the urban forest. The results from this type of assessment can serve as the basis for: 1) enhancing the understanding of urban forest values, 2) improving or developing urban forest policies, 3) ensuring effective planning and management of the urban landscape and, 4) providing data for the inclusion of trees within environmental regulations. From February to July, 2007 an urban ecological assessment was conducted in the city of Tampa. A total of 201 permanent sample plots were located within Tampa’s city limits (Figure 1). These plots will be revisited every 5 years in an effort to monitor changes in Tampa’s urban forest structure and assess how these changes are related to the functions the forest provides. Figure 1. Distribution of study plots. The team used the Urban Forest Effects (UFORE) model developed by the USDA Forest Service to calculate
