Economic Benefits of Trees

· A fifty-year old tree contributes $57,151 of pollution control
to the City of Cambridge over its lifetime. A mature tree 
consumes 13 lb. of CO2 a year.
· Save up to 25 percent in air-conditioning costs in the summer 
by properly planting trees around the house for shade.
· Save 10 to 25 percent in heating bills in the winter when 
evergreens are planted as a windbreak decreasing cold air 
infiltration and decreasing conductive heat loss on an 
exposed site.
· Tree canopy softens downpour. Less runoff in rivers
 reduces flooding, pollution, and sedimentation in rivers 
and lakes
· Trees soak up water and lessen the need to build bigger 
storm sewer systems.
· Trees and green space change sunlight into stored energy
instead of heat; and cool cities through evaporation.
· Trees muffle noises and views and provide places to rest,
 meet and socialize. Presence of trees on a property increases 
the value of a home by 7-20%.
· Patients recovering from surgery in a room with a view of 
trees reportedly required fewer strong pain relievers, 
experienced fewer complications, and were released from
 the hospital sooner than those without a tree view.
· A 40 foot tree releases 60 cu. ft. of pure oxygen each 
day from 50 gal. of dissolved nutrients. The total surface of 
roots must balance the total surface of the leaves.

Economic Benefits of Trees in the Urban Area

        We all know that trees are beautiful, help our souls soar,
and provide peace. And many of us are refreshed by the welcome appearance of tree buds, and the flowering of the many cherries, 
plums and even maple trees this time of year. "Trees are in a larger 
sense the sanctuaries of mankind, for their beauty is breathtaking 
and their bounty is breathgiving," said President George Bush.
Many of us are mourning the great losses in our trees from the 
blizzard. For this Arbor Day, we want to also acknowledge their
 economic contributions.
        We, at the Cambridge Tree Project, in conjunction with 
the Cambridge City Arborist, Larry Acosta, and Commonwealth
Electric's Michael  Durand have been collecting some of the 
economic benefits for trees in the urban area.. We would 
appreciate hearing your ideas on the economic benefits. Did you 
know this about trees?

· Presence of trees on a property increases the value of a home 
by 7-20%.
· A fifty-year old tree contributes $57,151 of pollution control to 
the City of Cambridge over its lifetime. A mature tree consumes 
13 lb. of CO2 a year.
· Save up to 25 percent in air-conditioning costs in the summer by properly planting trees around the house for shade.
· Save 10 to 25 percent in heating bills in the winter  when 
evergreens are planted as a windbreak decreasing cold air 
infiltration and decreasing conductive heat loss on an exposed 
site.
· Tree canopy softens downpour from rain, allowing rain to soak 
gradually into the ground. Less runoff in rivers reduces flooding, 
pollution, and sedimentation in rivers and lakes
· Trees soak up water and lessen the need to build bigger storm 
sewer systems.
· Trees and green space change sunlight into stored energy
instead of heat; they bring water up from the soil through 
transpiration and cool cities through evaporation.
· Trees muffle noises and views and provide places to rest, 
meet and socialize.
· Studies have shown that treed landscapes evoke a "relaxation response" in people. Patients recovering from surgery in a room 
with a view of trees required fewer strong pain relievers, 
experienced fewer complications, and were released from the 
hospital sooner than those without such a view.
 
      Recognizing the economic value of  trees,  Commonwealth 
Electric has a yearly Green Tree Spree program which offers
fifteen dollars off the retail price for trees at participating nurseries. 
For more information, check this month's electric bill. Please join 
the City of Cambridge, the Cambridge Tree Project and 
Commonwealth Electric in planting trees this year.


This article was written by the Cambridge Tree Project and was 
published in the Cambridge Chronicle in 1997.