Overview

I am a professor and program leader of the Urban Horticulture Institute at Cornell University, and co-author of Trees in the Urban Landscape. A native New Yorker, my current work focuses on the physiological problems of plants growing in urban environments, including improved plant propagation and selections for difficult sites, soil modification including the development of CU-Structural Soil and improved transplanting technology. I teach an integrated course on woody plant identification and landscape management techniques called "Creating the Urban Eden." I also organize the Student Weekend Arborist Team (SWAT) every year to assist municipalities in managing their urban trees.

Research Focus

I work on improving the quality of urban life by enhancing the functions of plants within the urban ecosystem. We integrate plant stress physiology, horticultural science, plant ecology and soil science and applies them to four broad areas of inquiry. They are: 1) The selection, evaluation and propagation of superior plants with improved tolerance of biotic and abiotic stresses, and enhanced functional uses in the disturbed landscape. 2) Developing improved technologies for assessing and ameliorating site limitations to improve plant growth and development. 3) Developing improved transplant technologies to insure the successful establishment of plants in the urban environment.

Outreach and Extension Focus

I work with municipalities to assess and manage their urban tree resources while applying appropriate technologies. Our outreach efforts use publications, websites, and face-to-face contact through meetings, conferences and field days.

Instruction Focus

I teach courses on woody plant identification and landscape establishment techniques and strategies for disturbed urban sites. One unique approach we developed is the Student Weekend Arborist Team (SWAT) to help communities manage their urban trees and open spaces. The courses I teach include HORT/LA 491-492: Creating The Urban Eden: Woody Plant Selection, Design and Landscape Establishment, HORT 391/392: Woody Plant Identification and Use in the Landscape and HORT 496 SWAT: Student Weekend Arborist Team.

Additional Links

• Community Forestry
• Urban Horticulture Institute
• Woody Plants Database
• Link to CALS Research portal
• Link to CALS Impact statements

Selected Publications

• Tree Identification Guide for Common Urban Trees in New York State and the Northeast 2006, Dept. of Horticulture 72 pages. 2nd edition N. Bassuk and Lili Herrera
• Handbook of Urban and Community Forestry in the Northeast ", 2nd edition. Edited by John E. Kusar, Springer Publishing 2006. Chapter 10 " Soils: The Keys to Successful Establishment of Urban Vegetation", George Hawver and Nina Bassuk, Pages 137-152.
• Blackburn ,J. and Bassuk, NL. 2005 Woody Ground Covers for Urban Sites .
• Amissah, N and Bassuk, N. 2004 Clonal propagation of Quercus spp. using a container layering technique.. Journal of Environmental Horticulture. June, 22 (2):80-84
• Nina Bassuk and Peter Trowbridge 2004 " Trees in the Urban Landscape: Site Assessment, Design and Installation " 207 pp. Wiley and Sons, Inc. Hoboken, NJ
• Recommended Urban Trees: Site Assessment and Tree Selection for Stress Tolerance October, 2003. Dept. of Horticulture 133 pages
• Tree Identification Guide for Common Urban Trees in New York State and the Northeast September, 2003, Dept. of Horticulture 72 pages.

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