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Trees & Plants: Benefits to the Community Natural Architecture Soil type, water and sunlight help determine the types of plants that can grow in an area. Plants in turn provide the “ natural architecture” of a region, supplying shelter and food needed by animals and making every place unique. In North Carolina’s coastal region, plants help create special habitats including marshes, wetlands, maritime forests, dunes, pine savannas, and beds of underwater plants ( known as submerged aquatic vegetation) such as shoalgrass. These resources provide homes for species that range from blue heron and black bear to fl ounder and shrimp. Humans accrue benefi ts from all of these natural resources. But as communities develop, some loss of vegetation usually results — along with the value, and goods and services those plants provide. The amount and type of plants lost will determine the scale of the impact. For example, evergreen trees generally intercept more water than a comparably sized deciduous tree. And some tree species are better than others at fi ltering pollution from the environment. Alone or in groups, trees provide benefi ts to our communities. ( Adapted from: Cooling Our Communities – A Guidebook on Tree Planting and Light- Colored Surfacing, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, January 1992.) Plants — whether they are trees, bushes or a forest — play important roles in community health. Loss or degradation of vegetation, especially in large quantities, can lead to major impacts on water resources, economies, fi sheries and wildlife. Loss of even one mature tree can impact the way a piece of property is used and enjoyed. Environmental Services from Trees Fact Sheet Sustainability Series 1 2 3 LEAVES: Re-lease water in the form of water vapor, cooling the surrounding air. BRANCHES AND LEAVES: Provide shade and reduce wind speed. ROOTS, LEAVES AND TRUNKS: Provide habitat for birds, animals and in-sects. ROOTS: Absorb water, stabilize soil, prevent erosion and increase soil permeability. LEAVES, TWIGS AND BRANCHES: Absorb sound and intercept erosion- causing rainfall. LEAVES: Remove pollutants from the air, such as carbon dioxide and particulate matter. NCSG | Trees & Plants: Benefits to the Community | Fact Sheet 1 Sustainability Series Quantifying Value Most people have an inherent understanding that vegetation provides both individual and community benefi ts. In recent years, researchers and others have become better at clarifying and quantifying the value of nature — especially when it comes to trees. These include: Air Quality Plants produce the oxygen in the air people breathe. A single mature tree can absorb as much as 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and release enough oxygen into the atmosphere to support two human beings. Trees in parking lots help reduce hydrocarbon emissions from cars by keeping temperatures of fuel delivery systems cooler than what occurs in non- shaded lots. Both evaporative emissions and exhaust emissions during the fi rst few minutes of engine operation are reduced. Water Resources and Stormwater Two- thirds of the water supply in the United States comes from precipitation fi ltered through forests. Healthy, intact forest vegetation and soils help control water fl ows in streams, including peak fl ows after storms, low fl ows during dry weather, sediment levels, and water chemistry and quality. Up to 55 percent of the variation in water treatment costs can be explained by the percent of forest cover in the water source area. Because forests act as water storage units, they can save costs for stormwater management. One hundred large mature trees intercept 1.2 million gallons of rainfall per year, and for every 5 percent tree cover added to a community, stormwater runoff is estimated to be reduced by approximately 2 percent. Forests near Atlanta, Georgia, were estimated to save the city $ 420 per acre per year in stormwater management costs enrichment. Land and Aquatic Resources Loss of forest cover has been shown to lead to loss of soil by wind and water. Loss of topsoil lowers the productivity of agriculture and forest ecosystems, and impacts aquatic ecosystems through sedimentation and nutrient enrichment. Biodiversity Native plant communities provide the food and shelter needed to maintain biodiversity. The native fl owering dogwood ( Cornus fl orida) supports 117 species of moths and butterfl ies alone. These insects are food sources for other animals, such as birds. Non- native ornamental plants support 29 times fewer animals than do native ornamentals. Energy Savings Shade from two large trees on the west side of a house and one on the east side can save up to 27 percent of a typical residence’s annual air conditioning costs. Well-located trees can also result in similar savings for government buildings and businesses. Good for Business Urban trees improve economic stability for the retail sector by attracting businesses and consumers. Customers spend more time and shop more often in well- landscaped business districts and are willing to pay up to 12 percent more for goods and services. One study suggest that landscape amenities have the highest correlation with offi ce building occupancy rates — higher even than direct access to arterial routes. Shopping centers that have ample vegetation, like this one in Wilmington, N. C., can increase patronage simply by providing a pleasant location to visit. ( Photo: Pam Smith) The national averages of revenues collected by local governments for each dollar spent on com-munity services for the land uses below are: • Residential: $ 0.87 • Commercial/ Industrial: $ 3.45 • Farmland/ Forestland/ Open Space: $ 2.70 From a presentation by Jeffery Dorfman, University of Georgia, Alliance for Quality Growth, August 17, 2004. 2 NCSG | Trees & Plants: Benefits to the Community | Fact Sheet 1 Sustainability Series Deferred Street Maintenance Repaving can be deferred for as many as 10 years on a well- shaded street and 25 years on a heavily shaded street. Shading reduces the amount of oil that is volatilized ( changed to a gaseous or vapor form) from the asphalt. Volatilization leaves the stone aggregate unprotected and vehicles can cause the asphalt to loosen and break down. Large shade trees can also reduce costs of repaving by 58 percent over a 30- year period. Property Values Properties with trees are estimated to be valued 5 to 15 percent higher than comparable properties without trees. Higher property values translate to increased tax revenues for local governments. Human Health and Community Trees in public housing neighborhoods are linked to lower levels of fear, contribute to less violent and aggressive behavior, and encourage better neighbor relationships and coping skills. The presence of trees can also reduce mental fatigue, help people relax and reduce aggression. Hospital patients with views of trees have been found to need less medication and have faster recovery times following surgery. Vegetation provides character and sense of place to public spaces where community members gather and recreate. Climate Moderation Large shade trees can reduce local temperatures by 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Plants also utilize sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce sugars and oxygen. Carbon dioxide is a known heat- trapping gas that contributes to global climate change. FORESTS AT A GLANCE * North Carolina is one of six states where future housing development on rural lands is most likely to affect private forest cover. * There are 18.6 million acres of forest land in North Carolina, slightly more than 59 percent of the state’s land area. * Approximately 86.5 percent of forest land is privately owned and 97 percent is classifi ed as available or capable of timber production. * The total economic value of North Carolina’s forests, as estimated by the U. S. Forest Ser-vice, is $ 30 billion dollars. PLANTS LOWER TEMPERATURES Vegetation helps moderate local temperatures through evapotranspiration ( ET). As the name implies, ET occurs as two processess. Evapo-ration occurs on surfaces when liquid water changes to water vapor ( vaporization). Tran-spiration is simply vaporization through small openings on a plant leaf ( stomata). In both processes, solar radiation or heat is used to change the water molecules from a liquid to a vapor, contributing to lower temperatures. Increases in residential and commercial development can be linked to loss of forest health, decreases in native fi sh and wildlife and their habitats, reduced opportunities for outdoor recreation, and decreases in the production of timber and other forest products. ( Photo: Gloria Putnam/ North Carolina Sea Grant) 3 NCSG | Trees & Plants: Benefits to the Community | Fact Sheet 1 Sustainability Series Advances in Threat Assessment and their Application to Forest and Rangeleand Management. General Technical Report, Portland, OR, U. S. Department of Agriculuture, Forest Service, Pacifi c Research Station. • Tallamy, Douglas, “ A Call for Backyard Biodiversity,” American Forests, Autumn 2009. • Ulrich, R. S. ( 1985). “ Human Responses to Vegetation and Landscapes.” Landscape and Urban Planning, 13, pp. 29– 44. • Wolf, K. L. ( 1999). “ Nature and Commerce: Human Ecology in Business Districts.” In C. Kollin, ed., Building Cities of Green: Proceedings of the 1999 National Urban Forest Conference. Washington, D. C.: American Forests, pp. 56– 59. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NATIONAL OCEANICAND ATMOSPHERICADMINISTRATION North Carolina Sea Grant NC State University 1575 Varsity Dr., Varsity Research Bldg., Module 1 Campus Box 8605, Raleigh, NC 27695- 8605 Phone: 919/ 515- 2454 Other pieces in the Sustainability Series are available at www. ncseagrant. org. For more information on spe-cifi c topics, coastal communities should contact Gloria Putnam of North Carolina Sea Grant at gloria_ putnam@ ncsu. edu or 919/ 513- 0117. UNC- SG- 10- 06A Autumn 2010 This document was developed with partial funding from the NOAA Coastal Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program under Grant NA09NOS4190096. PLANTS HELP BEAT THE HEAT The lack of vegetation in a predominantly built environment can create a heat island effect where air and surface temperatures in urban areas are higher than nearby rural areas with more vegeta-tion. This difference can be as much as 2 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit and is usually most signifi cant in the afternoon. In the built environment, solar energy is absorbed by unshaded streets, walls and other surfaces and released slowly back into the atmosphere, warming the surrounding air. Vegetation provides shade, thereby reducing heat absorption and in combination with the soil, mod-erates temperature through evapotranspiration. ( Graphic: Heat Island Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Information for this document was drawn from: • American Forests. Urban Ecosystem Analysis, Atlanta Metro Area: Calculating the Value of Nature, Washington, D. C., August 2001. • Akbari, H., Davis, S., Dorsano, S., Huang, J., Winnett, S. ( eds.). ( 1992). Cooling Our Communities – A Guidebook On Tree Planting and Light- Colored Surfacing. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Offi ce of Policy Analysis, Climate Change Division. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Report No. LBL- 31587. • Arzamassova, E., Lerner, J., and Peterson, C. ( 2003). The Economic Benefi ts of Urban/ Suburban Forestry. Brown University Center for Environmental Studies. • Colorado Tree Coalition. Benefi ts of Trees in Urban Areas. Retrieved Nov. 16, 2010, from www. coloradotrees. org./ benefi ts. htm • Caryn, Ernst, Land Conservaton and the Future of America’s Drinking Water, Protecting the Source, The Trust for Public Land and American Waterworks Association, 2004. • Coder, Rim D., Identifi ed Benefi ts of Community Trees and Forests, White Paper, University of Georgia, October 1996. • Faber Taylor, A., Kuo, F. E., & Sullivan, W. C. ( 2001). “ Coping with ADD: The Surprising Connection to Green Play Settings.” Environment & Behavior, 33 ( 1), pp. 54– 77. • International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives – Local Governments for Sustainability. ( November 2006.) Talking Trees: An Urban Forestry Toolkit for Local Governments. • Kuo, F. E. ( 2003). “ The role of arboriculture in a healthy social ecology.” Journal of Arboriculture, 29 ( 3), pp. 148– 155. • North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Forest Resources, 2008 Annual Report, Managing and Protecting the Forest Resources of North Carolina. • Peper, P. J., McPherson, E. G., Simpson, J. R., Albers, S., Xiao, Q. ( 2010). Central Florida community tree guide: benefi ts, costs, and strategic planting. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR- 230. Albany, CA: U. S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacifi c Southwest Research Station. • Stein, Susan M., Hatfi eld, Mark H., McRoberts, Ronald E., Meneguzzo, Dacia M., Comas, Sara. ( 2010). Threats to Private Forest Lands in the U. S. A.: A Forest on the Edge Study, In Pye, J. M., Rauscher, H. M., Sands, Y., eds. 4
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Title | Trees & plants |
Other Title | Trees and plants |
Description | Fact sheet 1 : Benefits to the community |
Digital Characteristics-A | 226 KB; 4 p. |
Digital Format | application/pdf |
Full Text | Trees & Plants: Benefits to the Community Natural Architecture Soil type, water and sunlight help determine the types of plants that can grow in an area. Plants in turn provide the “ natural architecture” of a region, supplying shelter and food needed by animals and making every place unique. In North Carolina’s coastal region, plants help create special habitats including marshes, wetlands, maritime forests, dunes, pine savannas, and beds of underwater plants ( known as submerged aquatic vegetation) such as shoalgrass. These resources provide homes for species that range from blue heron and black bear to fl ounder and shrimp. Humans accrue benefi ts from all of these natural resources. But as communities develop, some loss of vegetation usually results — along with the value, and goods and services those plants provide. The amount and type of plants lost will determine the scale of the impact. For example, evergreen trees generally intercept more water than a comparably sized deciduous tree. And some tree species are better than others at fi ltering pollution from the environment. Alone or in groups, trees provide benefi ts to our communities. ( Adapted from: Cooling Our Communities – A Guidebook on Tree Planting and Light- Colored Surfacing, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, January 1992.) Plants — whether they are trees, bushes or a forest — play important roles in community health. Loss or degradation of vegetation, especially in large quantities, can lead to major impacts on water resources, economies, fi sheries and wildlife. Loss of even one mature tree can impact the way a piece of property is used and enjoyed. Environmental Services from Trees Fact Sheet Sustainability Series 1 2 3 LEAVES: Re-lease water in the form of water vapor, cooling the surrounding air. BRANCHES AND LEAVES: Provide shade and reduce wind speed. ROOTS, LEAVES AND TRUNKS: Provide habitat for birds, animals and in-sects. ROOTS: Absorb water, stabilize soil, prevent erosion and increase soil permeability. LEAVES, TWIGS AND BRANCHES: Absorb sound and intercept erosion- causing rainfall. LEAVES: Remove pollutants from the air, such as carbon dioxide and particulate matter. NCSG | Trees & Plants: Benefits to the Community | Fact Sheet 1 Sustainability Series Quantifying Value Most people have an inherent understanding that vegetation provides both individual and community benefi ts. In recent years, researchers and others have become better at clarifying and quantifying the value of nature — especially when it comes to trees. These include: Air Quality Plants produce the oxygen in the air people breathe. A single mature tree can absorb as much as 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and release enough oxygen into the atmosphere to support two human beings. Trees in parking lots help reduce hydrocarbon emissions from cars by keeping temperatures of fuel delivery systems cooler than what occurs in non- shaded lots. Both evaporative emissions and exhaust emissions during the fi rst few minutes of engine operation are reduced. Water Resources and Stormwater Two- thirds of the water supply in the United States comes from precipitation fi ltered through forests. Healthy, intact forest vegetation and soils help control water fl ows in streams, including peak fl ows after storms, low fl ows during dry weather, sediment levels, and water chemistry and quality. Up to 55 percent of the variation in water treatment costs can be explained by the percent of forest cover in the water source area. Because forests act as water storage units, they can save costs for stormwater management. One hundred large mature trees intercept 1.2 million gallons of rainfall per year, and for every 5 percent tree cover added to a community, stormwater runoff is estimated to be reduced by approximately 2 percent. Forests near Atlanta, Georgia, were estimated to save the city $ 420 per acre per year in stormwater management costs enrichment. Land and Aquatic Resources Loss of forest cover has been shown to lead to loss of soil by wind and water. Loss of topsoil lowers the productivity of agriculture and forest ecosystems, and impacts aquatic ecosystems through sedimentation and nutrient enrichment. Biodiversity Native plant communities provide the food and shelter needed to maintain biodiversity. The native fl owering dogwood ( Cornus fl orida) supports 117 species of moths and butterfl ies alone. These insects are food sources for other animals, such as birds. Non- native ornamental plants support 29 times fewer animals than do native ornamentals. Energy Savings Shade from two large trees on the west side of a house and one on the east side can save up to 27 percent of a typical residence’s annual air conditioning costs. Well-located trees can also result in similar savings for government buildings and businesses. Good for Business Urban trees improve economic stability for the retail sector by attracting businesses and consumers. Customers spend more time and shop more often in well- landscaped business districts and are willing to pay up to 12 percent more for goods and services. One study suggest that landscape amenities have the highest correlation with offi ce building occupancy rates — higher even than direct access to arterial routes. Shopping centers that have ample vegetation, like this one in Wilmington, N. C., can increase patronage simply by providing a pleasant location to visit. ( Photo: Pam Smith) The national averages of revenues collected by local governments for each dollar spent on com-munity services for the land uses below are: • Residential: $ 0.87 • Commercial/ Industrial: $ 3.45 • Farmland/ Forestland/ Open Space: $ 2.70 From a presentation by Jeffery Dorfman, University of Georgia, Alliance for Quality Growth, August 17, 2004. 2 NCSG | Trees & Plants: Benefits to the Community | Fact Sheet 1 Sustainability Series Deferred Street Maintenance Repaving can be deferred for as many as 10 years on a well- shaded street and 25 years on a heavily shaded street. Shading reduces the amount of oil that is volatilized ( changed to a gaseous or vapor form) from the asphalt. Volatilization leaves the stone aggregate unprotected and vehicles can cause the asphalt to loosen and break down. Large shade trees can also reduce costs of repaving by 58 percent over a 30- year period. Property Values Properties with trees are estimated to be valued 5 to 15 percent higher than comparable properties without trees. Higher property values translate to increased tax revenues for local governments. Human Health and Community Trees in public housing neighborhoods are linked to lower levels of fear, contribute to less violent and aggressive behavior, and encourage better neighbor relationships and coping skills. The presence of trees can also reduce mental fatigue, help people relax and reduce aggression. Hospital patients with views of trees have been found to need less medication and have faster recovery times following surgery. Vegetation provides character and sense of place to public spaces where community members gather and recreate. Climate Moderation Large shade trees can reduce local temperatures by 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Plants also utilize sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce sugars and oxygen. Carbon dioxide is a known heat- trapping gas that contributes to global climate change. FORESTS AT A GLANCE * North Carolina is one of six states where future housing development on rural lands is most likely to affect private forest cover. * There are 18.6 million acres of forest land in North Carolina, slightly more than 59 percent of the state’s land area. * Approximately 86.5 percent of forest land is privately owned and 97 percent is classifi ed as available or capable of timber production. * The total economic value of North Carolina’s forests, as estimated by the U. S. Forest Ser-vice, is $ 30 billion dollars. PLANTS LOWER TEMPERATURES Vegetation helps moderate local temperatures through evapotranspiration ( ET). As the name implies, ET occurs as two processess. Evapo-ration occurs on surfaces when liquid water changes to water vapor ( vaporization). Tran-spiration is simply vaporization through small openings on a plant leaf ( stomata). In both processes, solar radiation or heat is used to change the water molecules from a liquid to a vapor, contributing to lower temperatures. Increases in residential and commercial development can be linked to loss of forest health, decreases in native fi sh and wildlife and their habitats, reduced opportunities for outdoor recreation, and decreases in the production of timber and other forest products. ( Photo: Gloria Putnam/ North Carolina Sea Grant) 3 NCSG | Trees & Plants: Benefits to the Community | Fact Sheet 1 Sustainability Series Advances in Threat Assessment and their Application to Forest and Rangeleand Management. General Technical Report, Portland, OR, U. S. Department of Agriculuture, Forest Service, Pacifi c Research Station. • Tallamy, Douglas, “ A Call for Backyard Biodiversity,” American Forests, Autumn 2009. • Ulrich, R. S. ( 1985). “ Human Responses to Vegetation and Landscapes.” Landscape and Urban Planning, 13, pp. 29– 44. • Wolf, K. L. ( 1999). “ Nature and Commerce: Human Ecology in Business Districts.” In C. Kollin, ed., Building Cities of Green: Proceedings of the 1999 National Urban Forest Conference. Washington, D. C.: American Forests, pp. 56– 59. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NATIONAL OCEANICAND ATMOSPHERICADMINISTRATION North Carolina Sea Grant NC State University 1575 Varsity Dr., Varsity Research Bldg., Module 1 Campus Box 8605, Raleigh, NC 27695- 8605 Phone: 919/ 515- 2454 Other pieces in the Sustainability Series are available at www. ncseagrant. org. For more information on spe-cifi c topics, coastal communities should contact Gloria Putnam of North Carolina Sea Grant at gloria_ putnam@ ncsu. edu or 919/ 513- 0117. UNC- SG- 10- 06A Autumn 2010 This document was developed with partial funding from the NOAA Coastal Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program under Grant NA09NOS4190096. PLANTS HELP BEAT THE HEAT The lack of vegetation in a predominantly built environment can create a heat island effect where air and surface temperatures in urban areas are higher than nearby rural areas with more vegeta-tion. This difference can be as much as 2 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit and is usually most signifi cant in the afternoon. In the built environment, solar energy is absorbed by unshaded streets, walls and other surfaces and released slowly back into the atmosphere, warming the surrounding air. Vegetation provides shade, thereby reducing heat absorption and in combination with the soil, mod-erates temperature through evapotranspiration. ( Graphic: Heat Island Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Information for this document was drawn from: • American Forests. Urban Ecosystem Analysis, Atlanta Metro Area: Calculating the Value of Nature, Washington, D. C., August 2001. • Akbari, H., Davis, S., Dorsano, S., Huang, J., Winnett, S. ( eds.). ( 1992). Cooling Our Communities – A Guidebook On Tree Planting and Light- Colored Surfacing. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Offi ce of Policy Analysis, Climate Change Division. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Report No. LBL- 31587. • Arzamassova, E., Lerner, J., and Peterson, C. ( 2003). The Economic Benefi ts of Urban/ Suburban Forestry. Brown University Center for Environmental Studies. • Colorado Tree Coalition. Benefi ts of Trees in Urban Areas. Retrieved Nov. 16, 2010, from www. coloradotrees. org./ benefi ts. htm • Caryn, Ernst, Land Conservaton and the Future of America’s Drinking Water, Protecting the Source, The Trust for Public Land and American Waterworks Association, 2004. • Coder, Rim D., Identifi ed Benefi ts of Community Trees and Forests, White Paper, University of Georgia, October 1996. • Faber Taylor, A., Kuo, F. E., & Sullivan, W. C. ( 2001). “ Coping with ADD: The Surprising Connection to Green Play Settings.” Environment & Behavior, 33 ( 1), pp. 54– 77. • International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives – Local Governments for Sustainability. ( November 2006.) Talking Trees: An Urban Forestry Toolkit for Local Governments. • Kuo, F. E. ( 2003). “ The role of arboriculture in a healthy social ecology.” Journal of Arboriculture, 29 ( 3), pp. 148– 155. • North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Forest Resources, 2008 Annual Report, Managing and Protecting the Forest Resources of North Carolina. • Peper, P. J., McPherson, E. G., Simpson, J. R., Albers, S., Xiao, Q. ( 2010). Central Florida community tree guide: benefi ts, costs, and strategic planting. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR- 230. Albany, CA: U. S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacifi c Southwest Research Station. • Stein, Susan M., Hatfi eld, Mark H., McRoberts, Ronald E., Meneguzzo, Dacia M., Comas, Sara. ( 2010). Threats to Private Forest Lands in the U. S. A.: A Forest on the Edge Study, In Pye, J. M., Rauscher, H. M., Sands, Y., eds. 4 |
OCLC number | 714609648 |