User:VetarusA/sandbox

History
Following urbanization in Europe, rapid city expansion resulted in forests being kept to the edge of cities, making the only urban greenspaces privately owned by monarchs, religious establishments, and other positions of power. Over time, as democracies began to gain emerge, the public was able to express interest in public recreational areas. Urban forest development was initially dictated by the wealthy and upper class society, yet in the second half of the 19th century, direct government intervention increased. At the same time, more urban greenspaces began opening to the public. The development of urban greenspaces led to a need for management of these areas, leading to the urban forester professions becoming commonplace. Forestry experts then became more involved in forest and green services management as localities and national forest services became responsible for these areas.

Practices in Scandinavia
According to a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, an average of 53% of forest lands within any Danish municipality are owned by the municipality itself. While this number varies respectively as the size of a municipality increases and decreases, this average serves as a general statistic. When compared to the other Scandinavian countries, Denmark’s municipalities are unique in that they regularly buy and sell land to the private sector. This exchange of land results in various owners of the green spaces that reside within Denmark’s urbanized areas. Only around a quarter of municipalities in Denmark have woodland policies in place for managing their urban forests. The others either have a stand-alone policy (around 20%), or no policy at all (roughly 30%). In fairly recent years, the budget for parks and tree maintenance in most places seem to be steadily dwindling. Sweden as well has transitioned into more of a conservation and active management mindset. In Sweden, the urban forests and green spaces are classified into five zones based on size and use. After classification, recommendations for future improvements and management strategies are formed. In addition to urban zone classification, the use of i-tree inventory is also used for the assessment and management planning of their urban green spaces. Swedish municipalities are constantly innovating  and adapting their managing strategies for the old growth forests in central urban areas and the younger forests on the outskirts.

Forest Composition
Most of the species in Scandinavian urban forests are native, with a majority of people stating their preference for native species. Common species include Norway Spruce (Picea abies), Scots Pine (Pinus syl vestris), Silver Birch (Betula pendula), and Moor Birch (Betula pubescens). Urban forests also tend to be fairly irregular in age and tree placement, however general favor tends to be shown towards older trees. Visibility is rated as a priority in the design of these places, and is a common issue faced by managing officials. Between surveys conducted across Finland, Denmark, and Sweden, approximately 53% of Urban Canopy cover is managed directly by municipal governments, while the rest is under private ownership.