Urban Forest Solutions

As much as our urban forest is under threat from disease, invasive insects, and climate change — implementing science-based practices can foster a healthy urban forest and urban environment for the future. Nature teaches us the importance of biodiversity and its role in maintaining a healthy urban forest ecosystem. We encourage practices that will improve the biodiversity in our landscape and make our urban environment more resilient to the forces of climate change.

There is no greater example of the cost of a monoculture than the damage to our American elm population, with Dutch Elm disease in our city over the past 40 years. Our ancestors, who planted these wonderfully treed neighbourhood streets, had no idea that one day such an aggressive pathogen would threaten these grand trees. Humans introduce monoculture. The natural forest is diverse with a wide range of tree and shrub species — making them more resilient and less likely to succumb to a single pathogen. Trees Winnipeg encourages biodiversity in the planting of trees and shrubs in your landscape for that reason.