Researchers take stock of how Canada's urban forests protect our health
- Martin Ford
- Jul 5
- 2 min read
Michelle Lalonde
2019-07-18
Montreal Gazette
Keywords: Urban forests, Human health, Climate change, Research grant, Tree inventory, Lidar technology, Boreal forests, Tree diversity
“We want to gain a better understanding of urban forests because they provide important ecosystem services — such as the reduction of heat, better air quality — which favours environmental and human health,”
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The project has three goals: to better understand how trees grow in the urban milieu, the way climate change affects them, and how that affects the health of people in cities.
The article discusses the importance of Canada's urban forests in protecting human health and mitigating the impacts of climate change. A biology professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), has received a significant grant to lead a multidisciplinary research project involving several universities. The project aims to understand the resilience and benefits of urban forests in the context of climate change, focusing on how trees grow in urban environments, the effects of climate change on them, and their impact on the health of city dwellers. The study emphasizes the lack of knowledge about urban trees, stating that while there is extensive research on distant boreal forests, there is almost nothing about the trees in our immediate surroundings. It also highlights the direct link between the quantity of trees and human physical and mental health, as well as development. As part of the research, students are conducting an inventory of trees around UQAM's sciences complex, identifying species and measuring their diameter and height using lidar technology. The goal is to create a detailed picture of how the urban forest grows and changes over time, with the hope that other Montreal universities will follow suit. The professor is particularly concerned about the lack of diversity in urban tree planting, as cities tend to favour a limited number of species.
Tags: Environmental research, Urban ecology, Climate adaptation, Public health, Sustainable cities, Forestry studies,Environmental monitoring
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