Here is a story about a the ecosystem service values of "street trees" in California.
Here is the link to the full article, published in the journal Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, which includes discussion of management implications.
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8 comments:
This is a really cool story. Things like street scaping are frequently viewed as "something to look at", or, in most cases, ignored completely. It's hard to pay attention to the trees on the side of the road when you're driving a car in a rush and going 45 mph, but often those little things that go unnoticed are what makes such a huge difference. Who would have though that they actually save us billions of dollars? I hope that with the release and publication of this story, increased support from city planners will result as well.
Like Evan said I thought it was pretty cool that the trees saves us billions of dollars. People usually find trees problematic and end up wanting to cut down trees near their homes especially after huge storms where trees could fall on or damage homes and having to clean up the branches and leaves scattered around their yards but I don't think most people realize how much trees actually do for us.
Just like most things out there, everything has its pros and cons but we tend to rely on beneficial resources. I find this article so educating really because trees offer almost anything to man. Having been lucky to visit California, I realized trees are mostly found near property areas and urban areas which are very well taken care of and as you go further from these places, it more or less starts to diminish prompting a desert like look. The sun is almost always out there and at a time like this, these trees as huge as they are offer some much needed shade which people like future property buyers are looking at. This article truly points out how valuable trees are.
Interesting article. I live in "the country" and not a real neighborhood, so it's hard for me to imagine a yard without trees. They can be a bit problematic, especially during storms, but overall they add aesthetic and utilitarian value. My sister lives in Portland, OR, and I was amazed at how many trees they pack into the tiniest areas in their suburbs. There are so many trees lining all of the sidewalks, which were really helpful because they absorb a lot of the basically constant rain and keep the area from flooding. I'm sure in the hot southern CA summers those curbside trees do a lot to keep resident's homes cooler, thus saving energy that could be used for AC.
I really liked this article. It got me thinking about the beautiful streets around downtown Wilmington that are littered with large trees, and some streets back home in Asheville that bolster similar characteristics. I've always thought that streets should be structured as such, but as we've learned in this class it's not enough to just say "oh they look nice" to actually get things done you have to add dollar figures to the item of focus. The research group did just that with their estimation of the California tree benefits. When you have a billion dollar monetary figure, people tend to listen to what your saying. I thought the part about the trees absorption of carbon dioxide was particularly beneficial to the study. I feel that with that aspect, and the others mentioned (Temperature regulation, water storage & air quality) that the researchers captured a very real dollar figure that correlated with the benefits of the California trees. Hopefully the state can continue such a plan, adding more trees where there is space, along with enriching of the species diversity within the program.
Trees have more impact on a city that I realized. This article is great. I would be curious what the costs of having the trees every year are. This only talked about the positive benefits but what about the costs of maintenance and clean up every year. Or the costs of when a tree falls and damages a house or car?
This made me think about the Carolina Palmetto Palm Tree. I'm interested to know, other than aesthetics, does that tree offer comparable levels of the benefits described in the article. I ask because, while FL and to a lesser extent SC have them planted extensively, NC does not.
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