Tending their urban forest: Residents’ motivations for tree planting and removal

Abstract

Drivers at multiple scales influence the management of trees, grass and other vegetation in residential yards. While significant attention has been paid to the varied drivers of residential lawn care and herbaceous vegetation, less attention has been directed at urban tree management on residential property, particularly at the finer household-scale. This study examines residents’ tree planting and removal decisions in Mississauga (Ontario, Canada) to better understand the way household-scale actions shape urban forests. Analysis of survey responses and interviews indicate that residents are activity managing their trees. Tree planting and species selection decisions were primarily motivated by aesthetic preferences and maintenance concerns. Additionally, nearly all of the motivating factors identified by residents were related to personal preferences and site-level characteristics as oppose to the ecosystem services highlighted by many researchers and practitioners. Tree removal was most commonly motivated by poor tree health. However, underlying many residents’ decisions were a lack of knowledge about tree care and species characteristics, which contributed to a number of healthy tree removals. Ultimately, residents’ focus on aesthetics is out of alignment with municipal plans that are frequently based on ecosystem service provision, while desire for low maintenance trees and lack of tree care knowledge raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of the urban forest.