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Managing the middle ground: forests in the transition zone between cities and remote areas

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Abstract

In many parts of the world there are extensive landscapes where forests and people strongly intermingle, notably in the suburbs and exurbs of cities. This landscape of transitional forest generally receives limited attention from policy makers and researchers who tend to be rooted in traditions centered on either urban planning or management of natural resources in rural areas. The transitional forest is on the periphery of both perspectives, but it is a large area that provides numerous important values (biodiversity, ecosystem function, forest products, and amenities) to the people that live in them and their neighboring cities. Here we argue for increased attention to transitional forests, identify major challenges, and suggest changes to planning and management practices needed to ensure that the values of these forests are sustained.

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Acknowledgments

This paper was completed with funding provided by the University of Maine, Sustainability Solutions Initiative (National Science Foundation ESPCoR #EPS-0904155) and Maine Agricultural and Forest Station Publication Number 3377. The authors would like to thank Spencer Meyer, David Kitteridge, Evan Richert, Mark Lapping, Lisa Schulte and two anonymous reviewers for helpful feedback that improved earlier drafts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, 226 Wishcamper Hall, Portland, ME, 04104, USA

    Charles Colgan

  2. Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, 5755 Nutting Hall, Orono, ME, 04469, USA

    Malcolm L. Hunter

  3. School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, 5751 Murray Hall, Orono, ME, 04469, USA

    Brian McGill

  4. School of Forest Resources, University of Maine, 5755 Nutting Hall, Orono, ME, 04469, USA

    Aaron Weiskittel

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  1. Charles Colgan
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Correspondence to Aaron Weiskittel.

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Contribution of authors was similar and authorship order is alphabetical.

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Colgan, C., Hunter, M.L., McGill, B. et al. Managing the middle ground: forests in the transition zone between cities and remote areas. Landscape Ecol 29, 1133–1143 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-014-0054-7

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