Free Resource Archives - Page 2 of 43

Stop the rot. Phytophthora in our urban tree planting stock: are we managing the risk?

ABSTRACT The genus Phytophthora is a serious plant pathogen that can infect and kill a range of tree species. Phytophthora cinnamomi is identified as a Key Threatening Process under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act (2016) and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (2019), and exotic species pose a threat to horticultural production. Phytophthora is …

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Achieving sustainable green infrastructure: is there a formula?

ABSTRACT The environmental and social benefits provided by green infrastructure make it an essential part of a city. Terms like sustainability and resilience are often attached to green space messaging, but what do these mean when planning and designing green infrastructure? Sustainability is about meeting our current needs without compromising the ability of future generations …

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Case study: The Forktree Project

ABSTRACT The Forktree Project began in April 2019 to restore 53 hectares of degraded farmland to its natural state. The project’s primary goals are to conserve local species and to engage other peri-urban landholders to undertake similar actions by demonstrating how they can contribute to conservation, habitat restoration, and to combatting climate change. Restoring Forktree …

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Tree valuation: a council practitioner’s perspective

ABSTRACT Street and park trees are essential public assets that require public funds to install and maintain. Unlike most other public assets, the value of an established tree is greater than the cost to replace it. Large, mature trees provide significantly more amenity and value to the community than saplings planted to replace them. To …

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A community urban forest strategy

ABSTRACT The City of Glen Eira recognised it needed urgent action to increase its urban forest canopy cover. Community members engaged with council to improve their urban forest and a project finance approach was developed and applied to grass-roots community urban forestry. Modelling tree volumes, undertaking costings, informing budgets and implementation, and aggregation of more …

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Will inner suburbs cook? Efforts to grow and save trees in the City of Unley

ABSTRACT The City of Unley covers 1,429 hectares, tree canopy over is currently 28% or 400 Ha. Annual loss of canopy from private land totals 4 Ha, with 50% due to 200 new developments each year. To be cool and green Unley has a target of 31% canopy cover, but Council’s land, open space, buildings …

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Green infrastructure is a fundamental element of a water sensitive city

ABSTRACT The south west of Western Australia has experienced the impacts of climate change and reduced rainfall more than most places on Earth. Our average rainfall has fallen by about 100mm in the last 30 years while the average temperature during summer has increased, with a record-breaking 6 days over 40 degrees in a row …

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Connected Treed Greenspace: A Salve for Climate Change

ABSTRACT The rapid expansion of Australian cities presents planning challenges as there are demands to subdivide undeveloped land for housing countered by demands for connected public open space (POS). The lowest socio-economic status (SES) sectors of our society have the poorest access to connected treed greenspace but are the group that needs it most. This …

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Urban microbiome restoration

ABSTRACT Working with the City of Unley and TREENET, in 2022 Jacob began a study to investigate variation in the soil microbiome in Heywood Park, a high profile urban green space in Unley Park in South Australia. Analysis underway revealed microbe diversity and abundance beneath areas of irrigated turf, mulched tree root zones, and well-established …

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Trees, cities, drought and extreme heat

ABSTRACT Human-induced climate change continues to gain considerable publicity as our politicians in general follow rather than lead public opinion. Recent extreme flood and fire events have demonstrated what the future might look like and while we can be certain of nothing in the future, it would be irresponsible not to plan for continuing weather …

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