Attitudes of Residents Toward Street Trees on Four Streets in Toledo, Ohio, U.S. Before Removal of Ash Trees (Fraxinus spp.) from Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)

Heimlich, Joseph; Sydnor, T. Davis; Bumgardner, Matthew; O'Brien, Patrick

doi:10.48044/jauf.2008.007

Cited by 19 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…While the observed changes of perceived importance were small, this confirms findings from other studies that have observed changes in perceived preference for urban places with or without trees (Arnberger et al, 2017), and points towards the contribution that trees make to the importance of urban nature sites: having more trees makes these sites more important to people. Moreover, the observed changes in tree planting attitudes were both significant and meaningful, reflecting results from other studies that report changes in tree attitudes after urban tree loss or removal (Heimlich et al, 2008; Hunter, 2011). However, while such changes can be immediate and generally positive (i.e.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

“…Furthermore, some ecological changes may not be as evident to humans or readily translate into human perception responses. As shown previously, changes in biodiversity may influence cognitive, affective and behavioural human responses (Fisher et al, 2021; Fuller et al, 2007; Lindemann‐Matthies et al, 2010; Schebella et al, 2019; Shwartz et al, 2014; Straka et al, 2016), and cognitive changes in perception may influence how people experience treed places, and, consequently, the benefits people derive from these spaces (Arnberger et al, 2017; Avolio et al, 2015; Heimlich et al, 2008; Hunter, 2011; Oh et al, 2021; Schebella et al, 2017, 2019; Veitch et al, 2014). However, as demonstrated in this study, some people may not cognitively respond to changes in tree abundance or biodiversity structure and processes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, it is worthwhile considering all the options for tree protection and retention, as well as retaining old senescing trees as long as possible. Similarly, considering that tree changes can affect people's perception responses (Arnberger et al, 2017;de Bell et al, 2020;Heimlich et al, 2008;Hunter, 2011;Oh et al, 2021;Schebella et al, 2017;Veitch et al, 2014), current and future losses of trees may result in changes in people's experiences of urban nature, experiences that ultimately contribute to human health and wellbeing (Donovan et al, 2013;Ikin et al, 2013Ikin et al, , 2014Kardan et al, 2015;Maas et al, 2009). Added to the fact that we will lose urban trees in the future many cities do not realize the social-ecological value of large, mature, old trees, so it is important to clearly articulate the social-ecological impact of their loss to communities and account and compensate for this loss.…”

Section: Implications For Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In urban areas, such changes in vegetation can influence animal abundance and diversity (Beninde et al, 2015; Watson & Herring, 2012), the composition of animal communities (Stagoll et al, 2012; Threlfall et al, 2017), as well as people's awareness of biodiversity (Hunter, 2011; Shwartz et al, 2014), and the benefits they associate with that biodiversity (de Bell et al, 2020; Fisher et al, 2021; Fuller et al, 2007; Schebella et al, 2019). Changes in vegetation cover or composition can also shape people's preferences and attitudes, including their preferences for biodiverse landscapes (Heimlich et al, 2008; Lindemann‐Matthies et al, 2010; Oh et al, 2021; Schebella et al, 2017; Veitch et al, 2014) or for places with or without trees (Arnberger et al, 2017), and their positive or negative attitudes towards urban trees (Heimlich et al, 2008; Hunter, 2011; Jones et al, 2013). While a few studies have measured the combined social and ecological effects of changes in urban nature abundance or structure (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Quantifying the importance of urban trees to people and nature through tree removal experiments

Barona

Threlfall

Kendal³

et al. 2023

People and Nature

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Experimentally manipulating urban tree abundance and structure can help explore the complex and reciprocal interactions among people, biodiversity and the services urban forests provide to humans and wildlife. In this study we take advantage of scheduled urban tree removals to experimentally quantify the benefits that urban trees provide to humans and wildlife. Specifically, we aim to understand how trees affect: (1) bird and mammal abundance and diversity, as well as an ecological process (predation); and (2) people's perception responses, such as the importance that people assign to the trees, wildlife and the site. We designed two independent Before‐after‐control‐impact (BACI) experiments based on two sites where tree removals were occurring (impact sites): an urban park and a residential street, both located in the Greater Melbourne Area, Australia. We selected three control sites for each impact site, or four per experiment. Ecological data were collected through field surveys, and social data on people's perceptions through intercept questionnaires among park and street users. Data were analysed using a GLMMs to determine the combined effect of time (before and after) and treatment (impact and controls). At the urban park, the abundance of nectarivorous birds and possums both declined by 62% following tree removal, while invertebrate predation increased by 82.1%. The level of importance people assigned to the urban park and to the trees at the site decreased after tree removal, and people's attitudes towards tree planting became more positive, meaning more people wanted to plant more trees at the site. None of these changes were observed in the street experiment where fewer and smaller trees were removed, suggesting that effects may be highly specific to context, where factors such as tree volume, diversity and arrangement influence the magnitude of social–ecological effects observed. By demonstrating the social–ecological effect of removing urban trees, we provide evidence that urban trees provide critical habitat to urban wildlife and are perceived as an important aspect of the human experience of urban nature. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Implications For Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Quantifying the importance of urban trees to people and nature through tree removal experiments

Barona

Threlfall

Kendal³

et al. 2023

People and Nature

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“…Street trees → damage sidewalks (Ely, 2009;Heimlich et al, 2008;Kirkpatrick et al, 2012;McPherson and Peper, 1996) → reduce walkability → reduce physical activity → increase negative affect Prevent capacity building…”

Section: Andersonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Street trees and mental health: developing systems thinking-informed hypotheses using causal loop diagraming

Alvarado¹,

Lovell²,

Guell³

et al. 2023

E&S

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We considered the relationship between street trees and mental health with the aim of developing systems thinkinginformed hypotheses to improve the implementation and evaluation of this popular nature-based solution (NBS). We integrated qualitative and quantitative evidence using causal loop diagraming (CLD), and then further analyzed and extended these diagrams with the aid of systems archetypes to identify key system structures. From these CLDs, we identified three systems thinking-informed hypotheses: 1) although there are many ways in which street trees may improve mental health, tree health is critical in realizing many of these benefits and minimizing dis-benefits; 2) communities which have benefited from street trees in the past are more likely to be able to advocate for additional trees, further entrenching historical inequities in street tree distribution; and 3) efforts to address these inequities through new tree planting initiatives may ultimately fail or even exacerbate existing challenges if they do not include sustained resources for tree maintenance, with direct and indirect impacts on inequities in mental health. Using a systems thinking lens was a useful way to deeply consider a purported but under-theorized co-benefit of a popular nature-based solution and identify policyrelevant hypotheses to guide future research.

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Environmental Interaction and Engagement

Coles

2014

Wellbeing

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This chapter considers the ways that individuals interact with the environment within the wider context of supporting wellbeing, presenting information regarding how the environment is perceived and the nature of the sensory inputs involved, emphasizing the need to consider the totality of bodily experience—including memory—which gives meaning to encounters. Drawing upon original research, with which the author has been involved over many years, a range of literature is discussed and a series of case studies presented describing encounters with the urban and other environments. These are used to explore the notion of wellbeing and how it might be supported.

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Attitudes of Residents Toward Street Trees on Four Streets in Toledo, Ohio, U.S. Before Removal of Ash Trees (Fraxinus spp.) from Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)

Cited by 19 publications

References 10 publications

Quantifying the importance of urban trees to people and nature through tree removal experiments

Quantifying the importance of urban trees to people and nature through tree removal experiments

Street trees and mental health: developing systems thinking-informed hypotheses using causal loop diagraming

Environmental Interaction and Engagement

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