Community and Urban Forestry The Benefits of Trees Drew Hart US Forest Service Community and Urban Forestry Chicago Region
What exactly is the Urban Forest? Forest Preserves/Natural Areas Buffer Trees/Shelter Belts Street Trees Trees on private property Trees in Parks
What is Urban and Community Forestry? Focus on trees and forests in urban and rural communities where people live, work, play Multi-disciplinary: plant and soil science, ecology, economics, horticulture, forestry, planning, public policy, research, landscape architecture, sociology
Benefits of Trees Economic, Environmental, and Social
Environmental Benefits of Urban Trees
Mitigating the Urban Heat Island Effect-Trees as air conditioners Mature tree canopy reduces air temperatures by 5-10 F. This influences the internal temperatures of nearby buildings.
US urban trees remove 711,000 metric tons of air pollution per year. They filter particulate matter which is bad for the lungs. Strategies for using trees to improve air quality include: Cleaning the air Plant long-lived, pollution tolerant, low maintenance species. Plant trees along transportation corridors. Plant evergreens for year-round removal of PM.
Trapping stormwater runoff and preventing soil erosion Rainwater storm drains = does not filter down to replenish aquifers also takes road and other surface pollutants with it. Runoff can erode soil. Urban forest can reduce annual stormwater runoff by 2 7%. Trees catch rainwater on their leaves (interception). A mature tree can store 50-100 gallons of water during large storms.
Phyto-remediation* + Dendro-remediation Roots can take up contaminants in groundwater and soil. Leaves can break down contaminants into less harmful substances. Heavy contaminants can be stored in roots, leaves, branches. *Phyto = plant; Remediation = the process of fixing (remedying) a problem Phytoremediation = the process of using plants to fix a problem (pollution)
Economic Benefits of Urban Trees
Shade = $$$ Trees can be used effectively to shade air conditioners, windows, or walls. Tree shade helps extend the life of pavement, reducing the need for street maintenance and repaving. Trees around buildings acting as windbreaks can save $ on winter heating costs.
Property Values Trees increased home sales prices in Athens, GA $1475 - $1750 (annual increase of $100,000 in the city s property tax). In Minnesota, 10% increase in tree cover within 100 m increases average home sale price by $1371.
Trees are Good for Business In tree-lined commercial districts... More frequent shopping Longer shopping trips Shoppers spend more for parking Shoppers spend 12% more in areas with trees and landscaping
Benefits = $272,000 Energy Air Quality Runoff Real Estate Trees Pay Us Back 100 Trees Over 40 Years... Pay Off: $136,000 Costs = $136,000 Planting - Pruning Removal/Disposal Irrigation Sidewalk Repair Litter McPherson, E.G., J.R. Simpson, P.J. Peper, S.E. Maco, S.L. Gardner, S.K. Cozad and Q. Xiao. 2005. Midwest community tree guide: benefits, costs and strategic planting. Davis, CA: Center for Urban Forest Research, Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service. 82.
Social Benefits of Urban Trees
Health Benefits Ulrich study of hospital patients Patients with green view stayed less time in the hospital, requested less pain medication, and had more positive attitude. Follow up study showed that heart patients felt less anxiety and needed less medication after they viewed photos of nature scenes with trees and water.
Kids with a green view concentrate better Sullivan and Kuo study on green views and kids with ADHD Kids suffer the worst symptoms when they are indoors. Playing outside on a paved area decreases symptoms of ADHD. Playing outdoors in a green area alleviates symptoms even more. Companion study on girls school performance The greener the view, the better they do.
Additional Benefits Trees help create walkable communities. Mid-block trees on a traffic island can help calm traffic. Trees can separate incompatible uses (like transportation and recreation), and act as a noise barrier. Tree planting and greening can help foster a sense of pride in the community. Provide habitat for wildlife.
Tools and Resources available for Urban Forestry efforts
Parcel Census Neighborhood City Watershed
Founded in 1963, mission to protect the natural places and open spaces of the region Focus on greenways, land preservation, community greening, environmental policy, and teaching TreeKeepers, GardenKeepers, coordinate volunteers
Chicago region partners working together to develop and implement a strategy toward a healthier and more diverse urban forest Chicago Region Trees Initiative Develop collaborative management strategies Measure improvements Build public awareness and support
Community Trees Program: Helps communities, public and private landowners, land managers, tree professionals and groups interested in trees manage and care for our urban and community forest. Review or develop ordinances to protect trees Tree science and urban forestry research Seven-county Tree Census done in 2010 Estimated trees: 157,142,000 Measures sizes, ID species
US Forest Service Urban & Community Forestry 1950s and 60s: Dutch Elm Disease devastates America's urban forests elm population is virtually wiped out. 1968: Urban forestry officially recognized as field of study in forestry schools in the U.S. USFS Urban and Community Forestry program Provides technical, financial, research, education Works with local governments, non profits, community groups, schools, and tribal governments Mission: Sustain the trees and forests where people live, work and play.
http://www.fs.fed.us/ucf/
Illinois Urban & Community Forestry Program Focus on planning, planting, maintenance and management of IL trees and forest ecosystems Help communities with TreeCityUSA certification Designate an individual or a group to care for the urban forest Tree care ordinance Minimum annual expenditure of $2 per capita Arbor Day proclamation & public tree planting U&CF Assistance Program provides grants for creating, enhancing and developing urban forestry programs.
Alliance for Community Trees Arbor Day Foundation
Special Thanks to Cherie LaBlanc Fisher and Lynne Westphal, social scientists with the US Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Evanston, Illinois for their contributions to urban forestry. And THANK YOU for joining the elite group of people who care about our urban forest! TreeKeepers 26 Years!