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ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8774-0957

Access Type

Open Access Thesis

Document Type

thesis

Degree Program

Environmental Conservation

Degree Type

Master of Science (M.S.)

Year Degree Awarded

2019

Month Degree Awarded

May

Abstract

Trees provide countless environmental, economic, and societal benefits to the urban environment, and may become increasingly important to maintaining environmental quality and human well-being in the face of increasing urbanization and climate change. However, trees in these urban areas are rapidly diminishing across the United States. Much of this loss can be prevented with proper planning and management, focused on selecting tree species that are both well-suited to the area’s growing conditions and able to survive the many stress factors in an urban setting. Choosing which tree species to plant in Massachusetts is especially challenging considering the lack of resources specific to the state’s growing conditions and the urban environment. I conduct a literature review to answer two research questions: (1) What ecological considerations should be made before tree selection, and (2) Which species should be planted in the urban environments of Massachusetts. My results yielded a comprehensive guide, in book form, detailing the five ecological considerations I recommend to make before selection, and profiles of 75 tree species recommended to plant in these areas. This book may act as a resource for tree wardens and homeowners to help choose the best species for their specific planting site, prompt other states to create or update their own state-specific selection guide, and encourage tree nurseries to grow and distribute favorable species, ultimately providing their communities with the benefits that trees provide.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/14223424

First Advisor

Richard Harper

Second Advisor

Bethany Bradley

Third Advisor

Amanda Bayer

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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