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Moderator: Mike Simpson

Climate Change and Urban Greenspace: Forecasting Change, Planning for Adaptation, and Managing Disturbance Risk

Presenters: Amelia Needoba and Edward Nichol

Urban forests in and around cities are vulnerable to changing climate and extreme weather but they are also an important part of the climate change solution. This session will feature a presentation on how to plan for climate adaptation in urban forestry. Using Metro Vancouver’s award winning Urban Forest Climate Adaptation Initiative as the case study, speakers from Diamond Head Consulting and Metro Vancouver will cover the climate data analysis, adaptation actions and implementation steps for growing resilient urban forests that will help adapt communities to climate change. The speakers will also share how this type of work is being applied in other parts of Canada and how it is informing related climate adaptation planning work in the region.

How are natural forests in and around cities supporting climate change adaptation? A social-ecological analysis along an urban-rural gradient in Metro Vancouver, Canada

Presenter: Dr. Tahia Devisscher

Managing urban landscapes is one of the greatest challenges of this century. The state of urban ecosystems and the well-being of city dwellers will greatly depend on the way cities prepare for rapid change in the next decade. Urban forests have an important role to play in this regard, yet little has been done to measure the effects of urbanization on the multiple, essential ecosystem services these forests provide for urban resilience. This presentation will focus on research conducted along an urban-rural gradient in the City of Maple Ridge, Canada, which is facing very rapid densification and expansion into surrounding forests. Results provide insights into synergies and trade-offs between different actual and perceived ecosystem services and risks associated to urban forest fragments. This will generate practical recommendations into ways in which ecosystem services could be enhanced while maintaining features considered of high social value for climate adaptation and human well-being.