Urban ForestryChristopher Riley
2016 The Garden Club of America Zone VI Fellowship in Urban Forestry
Christopher B. Riley is a PhD candidate in the Department of Entomology at The Ohio State University. His project is titled, “Just how Valuable are Exotic Trees?” He will examine the arthropod conservation value of the urban forest found across Cleveland’s network of more than 20,000 vacant lots spanning over 3,300 acres. Using a variety of arboreal sampling methods, he will assess variation in arthropod herbivore and predator diversity and abundance across the most common native and exotic tree species in order to better understand their ecological role within the broader urban ecosystem. His research will inform natural resource managers and city planners of the value of this largely ignored form of green space.
The Garden Club of America Zone VI Fellowship in Urban Forestry
To advance the field of urban forestry by encouraging students to study the planning, management, horticulture and ecology of urban forests, and the effect of healthy urban forests on people and the environment.
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