ABSTRACT
This chapter utilizes the example of Atlanta's forest, as a prominent natural feature of the region, to demonstrate the effects of growth patterns on resource consumption and the 'environmental' services provided by natural landscapes. From the air the city appears green and blossoming; however, as recent storms have taken down old trees in some of Atlanta's leafier neighborhoods, tree loss has gained attention in the region. Metrics that describe the structure and fragmentation of the forests give us a better idea of how exactly the forest is changing over time and begin to uncover the causes of these changes. Studies have shown the additive effect of trees and forest conservation hold significant net benefits for cities. To examine the direct land cover requirements of new residents, the forest-to-developed conversions, specifically, were considered. Clearly, Atlanta's forest, while impressive compared to the forest cover of other American cities, is being lost; that loss comes at a cost to the region.
