Urban forestry is the management of forested ecosystems dominated by human activity. Urban foresters are responsible for caring for trees and forests which exist within or close to cities, towns, and villages. Urban forestry differs from traditional forestry and arboriculture in that it takes an ecological approach to management of the urban forest as a whole rather than concentrating on individual trees or stands.
Many cities employ urban foresters to manage the forests within their borders.
Utility companies often hire urban foresters to manage rights of way, and the green industry employs many urban foresters as consultants and specialists who advise individuals and corporations on comprehensive tree care programs. All freshman applicants are considered within a competitive admission process for Autumn, Winter, and Summer quarters for the Columbus campus. The GEC is a body of courses designed to ensure that each student becomes acquainted with the basic areas of academic study. The core consists of an introduction to environmental science, ecosystem management, silvics, and silviculture. The major relies on courses from a variety of disciplines including landscape plants, general plant biology, control of horticultural plant development, arboriculture, forest entomology and forest pathology, the history of landscape architecture, introduction to city and regional planning, and 14 hours of specialization courses selected in consultation with the adviser.