The Urban Forest of New Orleans: An Exploratory Analysis of Relationships

Relationships between attributes of the urban forest and the built environment and social characteristics of New Orleans, Louisiana are examined using several exploratory statistical techniques. In the relatively young field of urban forestry, much research has focused on the biophysical attributes and functional benefits of urban forests, including wildlife habitats, climatic amelioration, and noise abatement. Recognizing that urban forests are anthropogenic, the research reported here explores the urban forest in relation to urban land uses and social groups. Socioeconomic factors, as measured by census variables, are shown to be important determinants of the distribution of the urban forest as measured by tree canopy cover.