The Value of Trees:
What a Difference Trees Can Make!
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Whose air is cleaner?
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Whose health is suffering?
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Who is running their air conditioner?
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Who is barbecuing outside?
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Who is being invited out for a walk?
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Whose car is suffering heat damage?
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Whose blinds are open?
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Who is susceptible to flooding from stormwater?
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What does it cost to water the grass?
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Who gets to listen to birds?
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Who feels better?
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Whose pets are panting?
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And so much more!​
Tree Value Research
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Green Cities: Good Health: Understand how trees affect human physical and mental health, based on more than 30 years of research by Kathleen Wolf, retired professor from the University of Washington.
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A Conversation With Kathleen Wolf: Exploring Urban Ecosystems and Social Science Research
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Benefits of Trees: The Morton Arboretum documents the value of trees. “Trees make the world better for today and for generations to come.”
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Urban Forest Benefits (USDA): While the aesthetic values of urban forests might be eye-catching, their many benefits to our daily lives tend to be overlooked. In addition to being attractive, urban forests reduce energy use, improve water quality, support a diverse wildlife habitat, and increase human health and well-being. Urban forests are an essential component of “green infrastructure” and their benefits extend well beyond their presence.
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The Value of Trees: Arbor Day Foundation outlines the value of trees, including its National Tree Benefit Calculator.
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A Perspective From the Tacoma Tree Foundation: Thoughts from their blog.
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6 Ways Trees Benefit All of Us: The National Conservancy summarizes how trees benefit human beings. “No matter where you live, forests and trees use their many powers to support our lives—and all life on Earth. Their health is our health.”
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Soak Up the Rain: Trees Help Reduce Runoff: The EPA explains how trees help reduce stormwater runoff. Trees are increasingly recognized for their importance in managing runoff. Their leaf canopies help reduce erosion caused by falling rain. They also provide surface area where rain water lands and evaporates. Roots take up water and help create conditions in the soil that promote infiltration.
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What is Your Tree Worth? The Urban Forest Initiative shows us how to determine the financial value of a tree.
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Tree Value Calculator: Tree Plantation offers a simple way to calculate the value of trees.
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Learn About the Benefits of Trees: Tools for Assessing and Managing Forests and Community Trees. i-Tree is a state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed software suite from the USDA Forest Service that provides urban and rural forestry analysis and benefits assessment tools. The i-Tree tools can help strengthen forest management efforts by quantifying forest structure and the environmental and economic benefits that trees provide.
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The Hidden Value of Trees: Get the details! “Quantifying the ecosystem services of tree lineages and their major threats across the contiguous US.”
