Benefits of Trees

Urban Forest Benefits: What Trees Do For You

  • Trees Improve Quality of Life - Trees create relaxing, beautiful, healthy spaces, absorb traffic noise and increase privacy.
  • Trees Strengthen Communities - The involvement of people in the planting and care of local trees can help build a stronger sense of neighborhood and civic pride.
  • Trees Increase Property Values - A row of mature street trees has been shown to increases property values between 5- 18% *(A Dec. 2003 UC Davis report estimates that San Francisco street trees increase property values by $ 6.7 million per year).
  • Trees Save Energy - A recent study at the Center for Urban Forest Research found that strategically planting shade trees could reduce the need for power plants in the long term.
  • Trees Clean the Air - According to the U.S. Forest Service research, through photosynthesis the average tree in a residential neighborhood will annually clean about 330 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air as well as provide enough oxygen for a family of four.
  • Trees Help Reduce Global Warming - Trees reduce the emission of carbon dioxide (by decreasing energy needs) and then absorbing the carbon dioxide released from our cars, homes, and power plants. Too much carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is the primary cause of global warming.
  • Trees Decrease Flooding - Trees reduce flooding by helping to reduce runoff. A typical community forest of 10,000 trees will retain approximately 10 million gallons of rainwater per year (United States Forest Service Research).
  • Trees Reduce Stress - Urban residents and workers suffering from stress have been found to experience less anger, sadness and insecurity when viewing well-treed surroundings.
  • Trees Help Kids Learn - Studies have shown that students’ attention spans are increased when they have a view that includes tress.
  • Trees Grow Business - Research from the University of Washington indicates that “..healthy and well-maintained trees send positive messages about the appeal of a [business] district, the quality of products and what customer service a shopper can expect.”

Sources:

(1) Friends of the Urban Forest brochure (back cover)

(2) Trees Forever, www.treesforever.org (adapted from top 15 list)

(3) Center for Urban Forest Research; University of California, Davis, http://cufr.ucdavis.edu

(4) The University at Illinois at Champaign Urbana Human-Environment Research Laboratory, www.herl.uiuc.edu

(5) Center for Urban Horticulture, College of Forest Resources, University of Washington, www.cfr.washington.edu/research.envimd

(6) Trees Matter, Trees for London and the National Urban Forestry Unit

(7) The Urban Forestry Manual, USDA Forest Service Southern Region, Southern Research Station, and the Southern Group of State Foresters

Urban Forest Benefits: A San Francisco Example

  • San Francisco is on par with the statewide average of 104 trees per street mile, but approximately 56% of all street planting sites are not planted (approx. 127, 500 trees). 
  • A recent thorough assessment of the city’s trees calculated the worth of this valuable resource at $7.5 million annually (approx. $77/tree) based on following benefits.
    • Substantial rain intercept to avoid storm water run-off and protect water resources, $467,000 annually
  • Moderate energy savings (due to mild climate) of $85,742 annually
  • Value of sequestered carbon dioxide and reduction in power plant emissions, $37, 907 annually
  • Property value increases annually and other less tangible benefits, $6.9 million annually
  • Additional non tangible benefits such as stress and crime reduction can not be calculated as of yet
  • San Francisco currently lacks adequate numbers of functionally mature trees which provide the highest resource benefits. Therefore, the current annual cost of caring for San Francisco’s trees is about the same as the current annual benefits (Benefit Cost Ratio of 1.01). 
  • “By aggressively filling the 100,000 + empty sites throughout San Francisco, benefits to the residents will more than double in the next 25 years as the city’s urban forest matures and fills ”...thus greatly improving the cost benefit analysis in our residents' favor.

Sources:

(1) “City of San Francisco, California Street Tree Resource Analysis”, Scott E. Maco, Gregory McPherson, James R. Simpson, Paula J. Peper, Qingfu Xiao

(2) Center for Urban Forest Research; University of California, Davis, http://cufr.ucdavis.edu

Benefits of Planting a Tree With Friends of the Urban Forest

“Sure, you know the benefits of planting trees in urban areas, but what are the benefits of working with FUF to plant your trees instead of doing it on your own?”

  • We have almost 30 years of experience with planting trees in this fabulous city of ours! We have worked with over 40,000 volunteers to plant over 40,000 trees to develop an urban canopy which has changed the face of San Francisco.
  • Planting trees through a group effort means not only that you have a new tree, but your whole street and neighborhood get new trees. These trees will imbue your environment with textures, colors and a feeling which may give your neighborhood a new, defining personality. Planning a tree planting builds a sense of place from within your community.
  • We provide the tools for success on planting day and beyond, such as experienced staff and volunteers, extensive tree knowledge, trucks and equipment, and the follow-up visits to ensure your tree will mature into a prominent member of your neighborhood.
  • You may not realize this, but many of your neighbors are thinking the same way you are! FUF supports your community from within and connects your area with the rest of the city, improving the entire city by supporting each individual neighborhood.