What is an Urban Forest?
The term “urban forest” refers to all of the treed landscapes that may be found within a community, including urban centres.
Old-growth remnants, backyard fruit trees, urban parks and trail systems, Garry oak meadows, and treed boulevards are all examples of urban forests.
Healthy urban forests provide increased economic and recreational opportunities, public well being, biodiversity, and a suite of "green" infrastructure benefits.
The Urban Forest Stewardship Initiative Tree Cover & Impervious Surface Mapping Report Greater Victoria 1986-2005
In 2007/2008 UFSI undertook a project to map changes in tree cover and impervious surface in Greater Victoria. The goal was to start gathering quantitative data about the urban forest of our region, develop an estimate of the green infrastructure benefits provided by our urban trees and develop a baseline dataset that could be used to track future changes to the urban forest.
Using orthophotography and GIS software, our contractor, Caslys Consulting, mapped tree cover and impervious surface in Greater Victoria in 1986 and 2005, and generated maps showing tree cover had been lost, and where impervious surface had increased during the period. Using the 2005 data and CITYgreen software, Caslys generated an estimate of the value of green infrastructure services provided by the urban forest.
There are two verisons of the report available. Download a the full report can be downloaded by clicking here (27meg pdf file), or an Executive Summary can be downloaded by clicking here (3 meg .pdf).
Any questions about the Mapping Report, the tree, impervious surface and land cover data, or our methodology should be directed to Habitat Acquisition Trust. You can reach us by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call 250 995-2428.
The summary report was prepared by: Ann Blyth, Ian Laing and Jason Shaw of Caslys Consulting Ltd.
The Urban Forest Stewardship Initiative is a program of Habitat Acquisition Trust. Support and technical advice was provided by Judith Cullington, Jennifer Eliason, Kate Emmings, Jeremy Gye, Adriane Pollard, Rae Roer, Adam Taylor, and Sairah Tyler.
The Urban Forest Stewardship Initiative and Habitat Acquisition Trust would like to thank the funders who have supported the Urban Forest Stewardship Initiative and this report:
We would also like to acknowledge the generous support and in-kind contributions from the Capital Regional District (especially Dale Green and Jeremy Bart) and the Province of British Columbia (Malcolm Gray).
Coordinating consultants were Gye and Associates (Jeremy Gye) and Judith Cullington & Associates (Judith Cullington and Sairah Tyler).
The summary report was prepared by: Ann Blyth, Ian Laing and Jason Shaw of Caslys Consulting Ltd.
