Analysis of Urban Forest Canopy Resources

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Cooperative Extension and Government Publications

  • Information on the percentage of tree, land, and water cover as well as total population and population density for 592 Florida urban areas is provided. Data can be used for relative comparison of tree cover among Florida’s urban areas during the early 1990s. 
    Dwyer, J. F., D. J. Nowak, M. H. Noble, and S. M. Sisinni. 2000. “Florida.” In Assessing Our Nation’s Urban Forests: Connecting People with Ecosystems in the 21st Century (Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-460). Washington DC: USDA Forest Service (accessed October 3, 2006).

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Books, Dissertations, Reports, and Theses

  • This report describes the methodology used to conduct the inventory and assessment; quantifies the change in overall canopy coverage 1996 to 2006; provides a three-dimensional description of the forest structure and composition; and provides a detailed look into some of the economic and ecological values of the City of Tampa’s urban forest.
    Andreu, M .G., M. H. Friedman, S. M. Landry, and R. J. Northrop. 2008. City of Tampa Urban Ecological Analysis 2006-2007. Final Report to the City of Tampa, April 24, 2008. City of Tampa, Florida. [PDF]
  • A report of the effects of ten years of changing landcover and how the information can be used to establish green canopy goals for the city.
    American Forests. 2005. Urban Ecosystem City of Jacksonville: Calculating the Value of Nature. Washington DC: American Forests. [PDF]

  • Findings indicate that tree canopy cover reduces stormwater and provides energy savings from trees for single-family detached residences in unincorporated Dade County.
    American Forests. 1996. Urban Ecological Analysis for Dade County, Florida. Washington DC: American Forests. [PDF]

  • Change in canopy cover over time, health, diversity, and economic benefits of the forest, as well as future scenarios are highlighted in this report. Total annual benefits of trees are approximately $16 million, tree diversity is low, and the percentage of canopy cover fluctuated from 1975 to 1996.
    Campbell, K. and S. Landry. 1999. City of Tampa Urban Ecological Analysis. Tampa FL: University of South Florida, Florida Center for Community Design and Research (accessed July 21, 2006).

  • The existing path of economic development in Gainesville and Ocala influenced the commitment to creating and maintaining a green infrastructure. Analyzing remote sensing data was a key aspect in determining the difference in urban tree cover between the two cities.
    Gatrell, J. D. and R. R. Jensen. 2005. “Chapter 11: Remote Sensing as a Program Assessment Devise: The case of Urban Forestry and the Competition for Local Investment.” In Geo-Spatial Technologies in Urban Environments: Policy, Practice, and Pixels. Eds. R. R. Jensen, J. D. Gatrell, and D. McLean, 113-135. Berlin, London: Springer. ISBN: 3540222634

  • One of the two chapters compares the leaf area index (LAI; amount of leaf area per unit ground area) of urban forests in Ocala and Gainesville. A stricter tree ordinance and enforcement in Gainesville resulted in a greater LAI. LAI is an important variable in ecosystem function.
    Jensen, R. R. 2000. Measurement, Comparison, and Use of Remotely Derived Leaf Area Index Predictors. PhD dissertation, University of Florida. [PDF]

  • Resources focused outside of Florida

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Computer Programs

General Articles

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General Resources