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Economic Benefits of Trees
This article was written by the Cambridge Tree Project and was published in the Cambridge Chronicle in 1997
Economic Benefits of Trees in the Urban Area
We all know that trees are beautiful, help our souls soar,and provide peace. And many of us are refreshed by the welcome appearance of tree buds, and the flowering of the many cherries, plums and even maple trees this time of year. "Trees are in a larger sense the sanctuaries of mankind, for their beauty is breathtaking and their bounty is breathgiving," said President George Bush.
Many of us are mourning the great losses in our trees from the blizzard. For this Arbor Day, we want to also acknowledge their economic contributions.
We, at the Cambridge Tree Project, in conjunction with the Cambridge City Arborist, Larry Acosta, and CommonwealthElectric's Michael Durand have been collecting some of the economic benefits for trees in the urban area.. We would appreciate hearing your ideas on the economic benefits.
Did you know this about trees?
· Presence of trees on a property increases the value of a home by 7-20%.
· A fifty-year old tree contributes ,151 of pollution control to the City of Cambridge over its lifetime.
A mature tree consumes 13 lb. of CO2 a year.
· Save up to 25 percent in air-conditioning costs in the summer by properly planting trees around the house for shade.
· Save 10 to 25 percent in heating bills in the winter when evergreens are planted as a windbreak decreasing cold air infiltration and decreasing conductive heat loss on an exposed site.
· Tree canopy softens downpour from rain, allowing rain to soak gradually into the ground. Less runoff in rivers reduces flooding, pollution, and sedimentation in rivers and lakes
· Trees soak up water and lessen the need to build bigger storm sewer systems.
· Trees and green space change sunlight into stored energy instead of heat; they bring water up from the soil through transpiration and cool cities through evaporation.
· Trees muffle noises and views and provide places to rest, meet and socialize.
· Studies have shown that treed landscapes evoke a "relaxation response" in people. Patients recovering from surgery in a room with a view of trees required fewer strong pain relievers, experienced fewer complications, and were released from the hospital sooner than those without such a view.
Recognizing the economic value of trees, Commonwealth Electric has a yearly Green Tree Spree program which offers fifteen dollars off the retail price for trees at participating nurseries. For more information, check this month's electric bill. Please join the City of Cambridge, the Cambridge Tree Project and Commonwealth Electric in planting trees this year.
This article was written by the Cambridge Tree Project and was published in the Cambridge Chronicle in 1997
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Benefits of Trees
http://www.tesser.com/plantit/benefits.htm
URBAN TREES
· Provide sound buffers for large urban areas.
· Reduce utility bills (air conditioning in summer, heating in winter) when planted properly.
· Heating: Using trees as windbreaks allows savings of 10% - 20%*.
· Cooling: Shading windows and walls can lower AC costs by 25% - 50%*.
· Reduction of our energy demands reduces our use of fossil fuels.
· Reduces flooding by intercepting rainfall*.
· Produce a sense of rootedness and community.
· Help to cool cities by reducing heat sinks. Heat sinks are 6-19 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than their surroundings (Global Releaf-Georgia). A tree can be a natural air conditioner. The evaporation from a single large tree can produce the cooling effect of 10 roomsize air conditioners operating 20 hours a day (USDA pamphlet #FS-363).
· Cleans the air. Removes dust, particulates, absorbs ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfer dioxide and other pollutants (ISA Pamphlet, 1991).
· Soften harsh contours of buildings.
· Increase commercial and residential property values. Homes on lots with many trees have 6% - 12% higher appraised values*. Trees can help increase the value of your property, sometimes by 10% - 20% (USDA pamphlet #FS-363).
· Reduce urban blight by adding beauty.
· Trees act as a carbon-sink by removing the carbon from carbon-dioxide and storing it as a cellulose in the trunk while releasing oxygen back into the air*. Trees can absorb carbon dioxide at the rate of 26 pounds per year - especially young trees that are still growing (Global Releaf-Georgia). One tree that shades your home will also save fossil fuel, cutting CO2 buildup as much as 15 forest trees (The National Arbor Day Foundation pamphlet #90980005).
· Prevent soil erosion.
· Freshen the atmosphere with the trees own pleasant fragrances. For example, one cherry tree can perfume the air with 200,000 flowers (USDA pamphlet # FS-363).
· Provide wildlife habitats for birds, squirrels, etc..
· Provide privacy.
· Direct Pedestrian Traffic.
*Enviro News / Louisiana Gateway 2000. Spring / Summer 1993, Vol IV
FOREST TREES
· Trees store carbon and clean the atmosphere. In 50 years, one tree generates $ 30,000 in oxygen, recycles $ 35,000 of water, and removes $ 60,000 of air pollution**.
· Prevent or reduce soil erosion**.
· Prevent or reduce water pollution**.
· Recharge groundwater and sustain streamflow**.
· Supply material for houses, furniture, paper products, etc...
· Crop yields of fields with windbreaks are significantly higher then those without windbreaks**.
· Provide food: nutmeats (walnuts, pecans, hickory, etc.), fruit (plums, peaches, apples, pears), berries for jams, sap for maple syrup**.
· Living snowfences, strategically placed, hold snow away from roads, reducing maintenence costs**.
· Provide watersheds for city reservoirs.
· Absorb dust and heat. Reduce glare.
· Add oxygen to the air.
· Reduce soil, water and air pollution.
· Increase atmospheric moisture, reduce enviromental water consuption.
· Some trees even provide key medicinal ingredients for illness cures and treatments. One out of every four pharmaceutical products used in the United States comes from tropical forest plants**.
· Provide oxygen, reduce carbon dioxide.
· Provides neccessary habitats for thousands of animals from birds to land animals to water animals.
**Source: USDA Forest Service Pamphlet #R1-92-100
RIPARIAN (RIVERSIDE) TREES
· Slow flood waters.
· Filter runoff and sediment from slopes next to the stream.
· Increases groundwater supply which we use as a water supply for cities.
· Provides shade so water animals can survive, keeps the river cool, provides food for water-loving animals. Fish require healthy riparian areas and will sometimes die without them.
· Provides neccesary homes for a variety of birds.
· Provides habitats for animals such as beavers and otters.
NOTE: All riparian information taken from USDA Pamphlet #FS-445, January, 1990
overview.htmoverview.htmbenefits.htmbenefits.htmplantree.htmplantree.htmconform.htmconform.htmcontact.htm
highlights.htmhighlights.htmpicture.htmpicture.htmvolunteers.htmvolunteers.htmstaff.htmstaff.htmmailto:plantit@tesser.commailto:plantit@tesser.com
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Why Mature Trees are Important to San Francisco
Our urban forest provides us with many long-term environmental, social and economic benefits.
A single large tree can release up to 400 gallons of water into the atmosphere each day.
Tree foliage filters dust and and can help remove toxic pollutants from the atmosphere. The foliage captures and removes a wide range of smog-producing compounds such as ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, airborne ammonia and some sulphur dioxide.
Mature trees help to cool and freshen the air we breath. Not only do they moderate the air temperature, but through photosynthesis, their LEAVES take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen for us to breath.
Mature Trees reflect our natural heritage. In contrast to other parts of California, we live in a temperate climate which is capable of growing a wide range of trees. The trees we plant provide visual and physical links to the dramatic landscape that surrounds our city. Trees are one of the reasons that San Francisco is spectacular.
Large trees remove 60-70 times more pollution than small trees. Only 2% of the Dallas trees population exceeds 24" in diameter. (What is the % in SF?)
Mature trees improve our aesthetic environment, absorb noise, are traffic calming, reduce stress and crime, and create a peaceful place to relax or socialize.
Trees provide positive mental benefits and healing qualities.
Mature Trees provide a sense of "Home" to a neighborhood.
Almost every city in our country has recorded a drop in the number of trees along its streets due to development, pollution, disease and neglect.
Trees intercept rainwater aiding soil absorption for gradual release into streams; preventing flooding, filtering toxins and impurities, and extending water availability into dry months when it is most needed.
Trees cleanse ground water as it filters through their root systems.
Both urban and rural forests are home to a wealth of wildlife which depends on trees for survival.
A single, fully grown sycamore tree can transform 26 pounds of carbon dioxide into life-giving oxygen every year.
Trees improve property values. The addition of trees and shrubs can increase property values by 10 - 20%.
Water from roots is drawn up to the leaves where it evaporates. The conversion from water to gas absorbs huge amounts of heat cooling hot city air.
Trees help offset the "heat island" effect resulting from too much glass and concrete.
Urban neighborhoods with mature trees can be up to 11 degrees cooler in summer heat than neighborhoods without trees.
A one degree rise in temperature equals a 2% increase in peak electricity consumption.
Trees and shrubs slow down rainwater, helping runoff to soak into the soil at a slow and even rate. This takes the pressure off our storm sewers and allows for the renewal of ground water.
One acre of trees produces enough oxygen for 18 people every day.
One acre of trees absorbs enough carbon dioxide per year to match that emitted by driving a car 26,000 miles.
Trees provide fruits, nuts, and flowers.
Recent research by the City of Fort Worth indicates that for every dollar spent on maintaining trees, the public receives three dollars worth of benefits from four beneficial areas studied. It stands to reason that the public receives the most benefit from the preservation of larger mature tees and significant stands of forest.
40% of prescripition drugs dispensed in the U.S. have active ingredients derived from plants, animals or microorganisms, many of them from forests.
By preserving and protecting Mature Trees on private property, on our streets and in our parks, we will continue to help renew and enhance San Francisco's urban forest for future generations.
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