In our Innovation Lab, American Forests incubates new tools and scientific research to help solve complicated puzzles, empower the forestry field and help forests cope with climate change. For example, we use climate change-informed techniques to boost forest growth after wildfires, and we share data-rich tools to help cities prioritize planting in neighborhoods that need trees the most.
American Forests created the Tree Equity Score to calculate whether an urban neighborhood has the right number of trees based on such factors as existing tree cover, income, race and ethnicity, age, health outcomes and urban heat island effect. Our Roots of Rock initiative helps develop disease and pest resistant trees, like ash trees (a favorite wood for guitars) to withstand Emerald Ash Borer, so a city’s tree canopy is not decimated by an infestation.
American Forests leads scientific research to restore forest health through climate-smart methods, such as spacing seedlings to mimic natural tree regrowth after wildfire. We are also working to create detailed models to project how various forest management actions affect carbon capture and storage. And with demand for planting trees skyrocketing, we have studied the challenges of ramping up production among the nation’s tree nurseries.