The unit consists of eleven employees spread out over two locations: eight in Athens, Georgia and three in Gainesville, Florida. Our research program focuses on improving our understanding of how people living in rural, interface, and urban landscapes influence—and are influenced by—the natural environment and ecology of the South.
The unit also consists of a science delivery center called Urban Forestry South, which addresses issues such urban forest management, children and nature connection, tree health, tree biology, health benefits of urban forest ecosystems, and more. This center is jointly funded by SRS and Region 8. Learn more about us →
View our Unit Charter document →
News & Events
Projecting Climate Change Effects on Outdoor Recreation
Cool temperatures enjoyed by hikers might rise enough that people decide to stay inside instead. The culprit – climate change – will cause higher temperatures and uneven intensification of both drought and rainfall. As a result, outdoor recreation trends could change markedly.
A study by University of Georgia postdoctoral research associate Ashley Askew and USDA Forest Service social scientist J. Michael Bowker examined this relationship. The study looked at how climate change could impact outdoor recreation participation. Their findings were published in The Journal of Park and Recreation Administration.
Latest Publications
- Thru-hiking the John Muir Trail as a modern pilgrimage: implications for natural resource management
Hitchner, Sarah ; Schelhas, John ; Brosius, J. Peter; Nibbelink, Nathan - Projecting land-use and land cover change in a subtropical urban watershed
Lagrosa IV, John J.; Zipperer, Wayne C.; Andreu, Michael G. - Projecting land-use and land cover change in a subtropical urban watershed
Lagrosa, John J.; Zipperer, Wayne C.; Andreu, Michael G. - Associations between worksite walkability, greenness, and physical activity around work
Marquet, Oriol ; Floyd, Myron F.; James, Peter ; Glanz, Karen ; Jennings, Viniece ; Jankowska, Marta M.; Kerr, Jacqueline ; Hipp, J. Aaron. - A simple approach to estimate daily loads of total, refractory, and labile organic carbon from their seasonal loads in a watershed
Ouyang, Ying; Grace, Johnny M.; Zipperer, Wayne C.; Hatten, Jeff; Dewey, Janet
Featured Publications
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“Where the sidewalk ends”: sustainable mobility in Atlanta’s Cascade community
Johnson Gaither, Cassandra; Himmelfarb, David; Hitchner, Sarah; Schelhas, John; Shepherd, J. Marshall; K.C., Binita -
Engaging African American landowners in sustainable forest management
Schelhas, John; Hitchner, Sarah; Johnson Gaither, Cassandra; Fraser, Rory; Jennings, Viniece; Diop, Amadou
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Socioecological disparities in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina
Lewis, Joshua A.; Zipperer, Wayne C.; Ernstson, Henrik; Bernik, Brittany; Hazen, Rebecca; Elmqvist, Thomas; Blum, Michael J.
Latest Video
Environmental Justice and Atlanta’s Urban Forest
Seminar presented by Dr. Cassandra Johnson Gaither and Eric Kuehler at Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia.
Latest Podcast
Science of the Seasons: Recreation
July 10, 2017
Mike Bowker and others examine trends in outdoor recreation and the future of recreation on National Forests.
Related publication: Outlook for outdoor recreation in the northern United States