FOREWORD

This Symposium has been organized conjointly by INRA and the French Society of Arboriculture and the financial support of French Ministries: Foreign Office, Agriculture, Environment, Culture, Education and Research.

Its my pleasure as Convener, to thank the people of the International Scientific Committee, French Organizing Committee and Landscape Departments of Senate House and Town Council of Paris, who helped in the organization and made this meeting a success. I am sure that the 142 delegates from 17 countries who attended the meeting join their thanks to mine.

But the success of the symposium was greatly due to the quality of their contribution in oral and poster presentations, but also by the general discussion and the round table following the sessions, perfectly managed by Y. Birot, and the technical demonstrations organized by the Curator J.N. Burte in Luxembourg Gardens.

In the last decades many countries have shown their interest for the preservation of urban green inheritance. This meeting was a unique occasion to cover such different fields and establish fruitful contacts between scientists and technicians working in related areas. This symposium, organized in order to keep a large time for discussion, has allowed to identify problem areas and key development required, but also to develop directions and incitements in the future.

After a large investigation on the main axis of research, it was determined which were the most important subjects that could be studied in the next symposium. This will be essential for the future development of strategies and tools for the protection of Urban trees.

Acknowledgments

I am indebted to Prof. P. Lemattre and to Dr. F. Lemaire for their help in editing this manuscript.

The success of the Symposium was greatly assisted through sponsorships provided by Rhone-Poulenc, Novartis, UPJ, SDMOquiniou and the Conference Bureau of INRA which supported the Secretary.

I am pleased to thank: Dr. J. Garbaye and Dr. P. Pinon from INRA and Mrs. Manieère, Landscape Department of Town Council of Paris who organized the technical visits but also EDF and the famous French landscape architect Gilles Clément who allowed the private visit of the exhibition «Gilles Clément, une école buissonière».