Urban Forestry in China: Urban forestry management has been accepted by both scientists

and policy makers as one important strategy to improve living

and working environments (Jiang 2003). In the middle of the
1980s, Shen et al. introduced the term “urban forestry” to China

Status and Prospects (see Li et al. 2004), and Gao (1984) published the book Urban
Forest in Chinese. In recent years, research projects have been
initiated to better plan the development of urban forests in some
cities (Chinese Academy of Forestry Sciences & Huadong Normal
University, 2002), education programmes on urban forestry have
been launched in some colleges, and a special research journal,
Journal of Chinese Urban Forestry, was established (in Chinese in
2003).

Over the last 20 years, a rapid

process of urbanisation has taken
place in China due to increasing
economic development. Between
1983 and 2003, the number of cities
and towns in China increased 2.5
times to about 50,000, and the
urban population reached the level
of about 40% of the total population
in the country.
Chunjiang Liu

Temples near a city are commonly important parts of its urban forest: Daming
Temple, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province.

W ith the increase in the number of

urban areas and in the total urban
population, environmental problems
have become more and more serious, e.g.
in terms of too few outdoor leisure areas
windbreak, as beautiful scenery, to
provide food sources with fruits and
leaves, etc. Traditionally, some people
also planted trees or a stand around their
houses to create or keep a good Feng-Shui
for city dwellers, mass destruction of for the houses. In addition, there is a long
natural landscapes, loss of biodiversity, tradition of establishing gardens and
water source pollution, CO2 emission, parks for the imperial family and higher-
and so forth. This paper gives a brief ranking officials. For instance, in the
introduction to the development of urban Summer Palace in Beijing, the most
forestry in China, highlighting common famous imperial park remaining in China,
problems and potential ways to solve the Wanshou Hill is almost fully covered
them. with two of the most common evergreen
conifers in northern China, Chinese pine
_________________ HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT (Pinus tabulaeformis) and Platycladus
Chunjiang Liu In historical China, city dwellers rientalis. Even today, these forests are still
Xiaohui Shen primarily used the natural forests and important parts of the city’s urban forest.
Pisheng Zhou trees within and around a city for
Shengquan Che hunting, gathering fruits and plants, At the beginning of the 20th century,
Yanling Zhang collecting fuelwood, and the like. On the some Chinese scholars who had studied
Dept. of Landscape Science and other hand, in ancient Chinese cities, it abroad brought the ideas of modern
Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, was also very popular to plant trees along forestry as practised in Western countries
China the rivers and streets and maintain a to China. With a better understanding of
Guangrong Shen small patch of tree stands around the forest functions in terms of
Dept. of Resources and Environment, houses. These trees and small areas of environmental protection and recreation,
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China forest were managed for multiple these Chinese scholars began an attempt
✉ [email protected] purposes, e.g., for shade, to serve as a to establish forests in the areas around

December 2004 15
Several years ago, the Shanghai government started to rent out environmental conditions, long-term also medium and small cities have
land for urban forestry purposes to private companies based on a planning of urban forestry was made part become involved in the planning and
contract. According to the contract between the government and
a company, 60% of the land rented by the company must be used of a national development strategy development of their urban forests.
to grow forest, and the remaining 40% can be used for during the 1990s (Gao, 2003). According
establishing a tree seedling and flowers nursery which can bring
commercial benefit to the company within a short period of time. to the planning of China’s urban forest A second change that has occurred since
In addition, in order to support private companies in establishing development, the overall goal is to the 1980s is that urban forests are now
urban forests, the government also provides certain economic
supplements to the companies according to the area of the land expand the cover of urban forests and being managed for multiple purposes, so
rented. After 10 years, the government will get these forests back trees to 45% in 70% of cities by the year that they can fulfil their potential roles in
from the companies. In this way, the government can solve the
issue of a shortage of funds. 2050. Today there are some cities, e.g. recreation, water sources protection,
Changchun, Nanjing and Guangzhou, biodiversity conservation, atmospheric
with a forest cover of more than 40%. CO2 sequestration, air pollution
reduction, and so forth. Of course
Since the 1980s, developing urban forests different cities located in different parts
Beijing and Nanjing with the purpose of has become an important part of
conserving water and soils, as well as to municipal planning as a whole, and
provide opportunities for recreation. urban forests have been established most of the Chinese
Starting in 1949, the new Chinese according to a design which is based on urban forests are
government launched a movement of the need for recreation opportunities and monocultures
massive afforestation in areas near cities environmental protection. In 1989,
as well as in remote areas. In Beijing, the Changchun, the capital of Jilin province, of the country may emphasise different
new capital of China, for instance, many began to carry out a programme of functions of urban forests. Due to the
plantations were established around the developing a “forest city”, thus being the heavy air pollution in most Chinese cities,
city aimed at water and soil conservation first city to have this as a goal of city however, all of the trees and forests in a
and at offering recreation opportunities development (Jiang, 2003). In 2001, the city are expected to have a high capability
for city dwellers (see article by Jianming planning of urban forest development of retaining dust and absorbing SO2,
et al. on page 26). was worked out for Shanghai, the biggest NO2, and other pollutants (Guan & Liu,
city in the country, with the goal of 1999; Wu et al., 2004).
In the 1980s, with a rapidly growing reaching a 35% forest coverage by 2020.
economy, urbanisation intensified in This figure was calculated based on O2 A third change is that private companies
China, causing new environmental emission, CO2 sequestration, water have become involved in developing
challenges. In this context, modern urban sources protection, recreation, etc. urban forests, just as they are engaged in
forestry was introduced to China as the (Chinese Academy of Forestry Sciences & other commercial activities in China. In
country opened up to the outside world, Huadong Normal University, 2002). In the past governments had to call for and
and terms such as “urban forest” and 2002, a plan for urban forest organise people to establish forests, but
“urban forestry” became popular in development was made for the capital now this work can be done as a kind of
scientific literature and the news media city of Huaining county (Jiang, 2003). commercial activity, which has added a
(Li et al., 2004). In order to improve urban This means that not only big cities but new driving force for urban forest
development in China.

The Yanzhong Green-space with an area of 210,000 m2, located at the city centre, is The fourth feature of China’s new urban
the largest public green-space in Shanghai. For this green-space, 306 units, 165 forestry policies is that managing urban
privately owned enterprises and 6736 households have been moved. forest is done as a way of reducing
poverty in local areas. In Beijing, for
instance, forests in suburban areas have
been attracting more and more tourists,
especially during weekends and holidays
(Qu, 2003). These visitors not only create
many jobs at local hotels, restaurants,
and the like, but provide an opportunity
for farmers to sell their agricultural
produce, such as fruits, vegetables, and
handicrafts mostly made of wood and
stone. At the same time, this opens a
window for the exchange of information
between people living in urban areas and
those living in rural areas. This stimulates
the enthusiasm of local people to get
involved in urban forestry.
Chunjiang Liu

PROBLEMS
In China, the major share of funding for

16 UA-Magazine
managing urban forests comes from the most important task magazines, TV, etc. In addition, it is also
governments. However, governmental is to raise awareness important for researchers and managers
funding alone is not enough to satisfy the about the role of forests to assist with preparing information
urgent need for planting new trees and materials aimed at tourists and local
forests in many cities. Generally, private inhabitants such as leaflets or posters
companies are not interested in forest of urban trees and urban forests to global about their projects or specific urban
management, mainly because it does not change, e.g. acid rain, ozone, ultraviolet forest stands.
deliver direct and fast economic benefits. radiation, global warming, etc.; 3)
technology for establishing multipurpose In China, generally, one important
In order to get a fast “greening effect” forests; 4) the mixture of tree species in limiting factor for developing urban
along streets or in open areas people urban forests; 5) control of diseases and forests in a city is shortage of funds,
prefer to transplant “big trees” rather insects harmful to the trees and forests; 6) mainly because these forests do not
than plant seedlings. These big trees are application of GIS (geographic produce direct economic benefits, and
usually more than 20 and sometimes information system), RS (remote sensing) they thus do not attract private
even up to 100 years old. Unfortunately, and GPS (Global Positioning System) companies. It is necessary for the
they are at greater risk of dying due to technology in urban forestry. Policies, government to invest in urban forestry, as
water deficits during the transportation laws and regulations concerning urban one aspect of a city’s infrastructure, but
period or because they cannot adapt to forestry should be changed or developed diversification of fund raising should also
the new environment; and even if they to adapt to the current needs and be advocated. Due to the exceptional
survive their growing potential is not as mentioned problems. Studies are also position of Beijing as the capital city,
good as that of the trees grown from needed on how to account for urban several international cooperation
seedlings. forests’ induced economic benefit, and programmes support its urban forest
how to levy taxes to compensate urban development. In addition, as discussed
Due to easier operations in silviculture forestry. In addition, the practice and above, the government’s policy of
and a lack of techniques for planting experience of developing urban forests providing economic compensation to
mixed stands, most of the Chinese urban commercially as done in Shanghai should private companies in Shanghai might be
forests, and especially those established be studied further in order to find more considered for other municipals as a way
during recent years, are monocultures. ways to generate funding for urban of raising funds for developing urban
These pure stands are susceptible to the forestry. forests.
outbreak of pests and they have a
negative impact on the landscape From a research perspective, some long- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors thank Dr. C. Konijnendijk for his
aesthetic. In Beijing, for instance, the term observation stands should be comments on the manuscript and language
urban forest landscape is dominated by established so that a set of complete data checking and gratefully acknowledge the help of
the evergreen conifers Pinus on urban forests can be compiled. In Mr. Zhiwei Huang for our data collection.

tabulaeformois and Platycladus orientalis addition, based on different conditions in

and the deciduous broadleafs Quercus terms of climate, species composition, REFERENCES
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December 2004 17