Urban trees stand guard against storm damage, raise property values, boost well-being and even help other city systems like roads work more efficiently, according to urban forestry experts.
So, should city officials treat them as core infrastructure — as a utility themselves? In the face of a warming planet and breakneck urbanisation, a growing number of US policymakers and citizens are asking that question.
“We’re having a moment in our field right now, a sudden awakening,” said Ian Leahy, vice-president of urban forestry at American Forests, a non-profit.
Last week, Republican lawmakers proposed legislation setting a goal for the United States to plant a trillion trees by 2050 to fight global warming. US cities alone could plant about 400,000 of those trees, noted the World Resources Institute, a Washington-based think tank. And the benefits would go well beyond carbon storage.
According to the National Tree Benefit Calculator, which uses data from the US Forest Service, a single 36-inch diameter willow oak in a residential area in the DC suburbs can provide nearly
$330 in benefits per year.
Those include slowing stormwater runoff, cooling air temperatures, and even boosting student achievement and public health, Leahy explained. Citing similar benefits, the United Nations food agency in September announced plans to plant up to 500,000 hectares of urban forests in 90 cities across Africa and Asia by 2030.
But even as recognition of the importance of urban forests is growing, mature city trees are dying across the United States and not being replaced, Leahy said.
Of the 130 million acres of urban forests across the country, 175,000 acres die or get cut down every year, according to a 2018 study from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
That translates into at least $96 million in lost benefits annually, the study noted.
“The on-the-ground situation is still not good,” Leahy said.
Research shows urban trees have significant positive effects on both cities and their residents.
They capture more than a third of rainfall, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), easing the strain on flooding and stormwater infrastructure. Their shade helps lower energy use by nearly half, according to the EPA, while reducing carbon emissions by up to 5 per cent. Researchers have also found that trees dampen urban noise by up to 10 decibels, boost student memory skills, bring down the risk of psychiatric disorders, and even reduce crime. — Thomson Reuters Foundation
Carey L Biron
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