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Nebraska Forest Service

Community Forestry

Even if you live in a town or city, you are surrounded by forests. Look around and you will see parks and open spaces filled with trees.trees that work to make your environment a cleaner, healthier place to live. Consider some of the many benefits of trees:

  • Trees reduce air pollution. Trees and shrubs absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen. In fact, one acre of trees can produce enough oxygen for 18 people. Trees also filter particulates, such as dust, ash, pollen and smoke, from the air.
  • Trees protect the soil. The dense network of tree roots in our urban forests helps hold soil in place, reducing wind and water erosion. Their roots also increase infiltration of water into the soil, which reduces the amount of surface runoff. Tree foliage also deflects rain and hail, protecting the soil, as well as buildings.
  • Trees protect our water. Tree roots help filter polluted surface runoff, preventing contaminants from entering our waterways.
  • Trees affect the speed and direction of wind. The foliage of trees buffers wind, reducing its speed and directing it away from protected areas.
  • Trees reduce energy costs. When strategically placed, trees can provide considerable savings in energy costs. The shade provided by trees in the summer helps keep your home cooler, while windbreaks protect your home from harsh winter winds. Shade trees are most effective when planted on the south and west side of your home, and windbreaks are most effective when planted on the north side of your home.
  • Trees create wildlife habitat. Trees provide valuable food and shelter for many animals, such as birds, squirrels, rabbits and many songbirds.
  • Trees enhance community image. Trees beautify the landscape and create recreational opportunities within the community.
  • Trees increase property values. Homes with maintained landscapes have property values 5-20 percent higher than non-landscaped homes. This varies with the number, size and quality of trees in the landscape.

Psychological and Economic Benefits

Gazebos on East Campus at UNL
The gazebos and shade trees in this public area make a comfortable recreational setting. Photo: Nebraska Forest Service.

In addition to providing environmental benefits, trees provide psychological benefits. Dr. Rachel Kaplan conducted a survey of workers' job satisfaction and rate of illness. Some participants in her study could view nature settings from their work areas, while others could not. Dr. Kaplan discovered that workers who could view nature claimed to be more satisfied with their job, felt challenged by their job and reported better overall health than their co-workers who were unable to view nature.

Dr. Howard Frumkin a researcher in environmental and occupational medicine at Emory University in Atlanta, compiled data from numerous case studies and surveys and concluded that clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and prisons that incorporated natural elements, such as a nice view from a window, showed higher rehabilitation rates than facilities without natural elements. Dr. Robert Ulrich studied patients in a suburban Pennsylvania hospital from 1972 to 1981 and determined that patients who had a view of nature from their hospital room's window had shorter hospital stays and required fewer pain medications than patients whose room window faced a brick wall.

Trees may also play a role in reducing domestic violence. Drs. Bill Sullivan and Francis Kuo, of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, surveyed residents of 98 apartment buildings in Chicago 's Ida B. Wells public housing project and discovered that residents who lived in buildings with trees nearby reported lower levels of fear and less violent behavior. They also analyzed police reports from the Chicago Police Department over a two-year period. From this analysis they determined that buildings in areas of high vegetation had 52 percent fewer crimes than buildings in areas of low vegetation.

Researchers have also made a connection between vegetation and increased concentration among children with ADHD. A study by Andrea Taylor and Drs. Bill Sullivan and Frances Kuo, of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, concluded that children with ADHD experience a decrease in symptoms after contact with nature. This translates into restored focus and improved concentration.

In a separate study, Taylor, Sullivan and Kuo looked at boys and girls, ages 7 through 12, and their primary caregivers, all of whom lived in a Chicago public housing development. All buildings in the development were identical, except that some offered views of nature settings. Researchers did not find a relationship between boys and views of nature, but there was a dramatic relationship for girls. Girls who had increased exposure to nature had increased self-discipline, better concentration and reduced impulsive behavior.

Tree Lined Blvd
This tree-lined boulevard may help make businesses more attractive to consumers. Photo: Nebraska Forest Service.

Trees also have an impact on consumer behavior. A study conducted at the University of Washington surveyed a sample business owners and consumers of cities in the Pacific Northwest, Austin, Los Angeles, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Washington D.C. The survey asked participants to rate three business districts on each of four categories: amenity and comfort; interaction with merchants; quality of products; and maintenance and upkeep. The districts with street trees and other landscape elements scored significantly higher in each category than districts without trees or landscape elements. In fact, some survey participants said they would be willing to pay more for parking and goods in business districts with trees and landscape elements.

References:

Community Forestry Resources