Tree Benefits

Trees are an Investment  

Almost everyone knows that trees and other living plants are valuable. They beautify our surroundings, purify our air, act as sound barriers, manufacture precious oxygen, and help us save energy through their cooling shade in summer and their wind reduction in winter.

Many people do not realize, however, that plants have a dollar value of their own that can be measured by competent plant appraisers.

Tree size

  • Sometimes the size and age of a tree are such that it cannot be replaced. Trees that are too large to be replaced should be assessed by professionals who use a specialized appraisal formula.

Species of Tree

  • Trees that are hardy, durable, highly adaptable and free from objectionable characteristics such as pods or nuts which add to the debris are most valuable and require less maintenance.

Condition of the tree

  • A well-cared-for tree with healthy roots, trunk, branches and buds will have a higher value.

Location of the tree

  • One tree standing alone will often have a higher value than a tree in a group.  A tree near your house, or one which is a focal point in your landscape, tends to have more value.

    Air Quality

    Greening our urban environment with native species of trees can help reduce smog. Trees combat the abundance of pollution created by local traffic, as well as the large number of trucks crossing the border.

     In 50 years, one tree can remove 30 tons of pollutants from the air. One hundred trees can remove five tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air.

    • A single row of trees can reduce street dust by as much as 25 percent.
    • Two mature trees can produce enough oxygen for four people.
    • A barrier of mature trees will provide an adequate sound barrier between neighbourhoods and highly travelled roads.

    Energy Savings 

    In the summer months, trees strategically placed around a home or office building can reduce air conditioning costs by 30 percent.

    • The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-sized air conditioners operating 20 hours a day.
    • In the winter months, a tree on the northwest side of your property can slow strong winds and help to reduce heating costs by 20-40 percent.

    Wildlife Habitat

    Pockets and groves of trees provide an ideal habitat for many species of butterflies.  Maintaining butterfly habitats allows for pollination and establishment of wildflowers each growing season.

    • Native bird species also have an established niche in the local environment; proper forest management supports a sustainable, thriving habitat.
    • There is a dwindling population of flying squirrels who dwell in our native Carolinian groves. The northern flying squirrel is currently on the endangered animals list, while the southern flying squirrel is under special concern.

    Water Quality & Storm Water Management

    • Storm water runoff is one of the leading causes of impairment to waterways and has led to more than 1,500 beach closings at coastal and Great Lake sites in 1998. Trees planted along waterways can remove over 75 percent of the nitrates in the groundwater before the pollutants reach the waterways.
    • Trees intercept water and store some of it, reducing stormwater runoff and the possibility of flooding.
    • A typical medium-sized tree can intercept as much as 2,380 gallons of rainfall per year.