Benefits of urban forests

Trees in towns bring with them both benefits and costs. Whilst many of the costs are well known to managers of urban trees, who watch the budgets and answer the phone to disgruntled residents, the benefits can be seen as difficult to quantify or justify.  Never the less, a considerable and expanding body of research exists on the benefits that urban trees bring. The links here summarise some of the many different benefits of urban trees.

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to Warwick District Council for permission to reproduce the bulk of the information supplied in these pages. 

Bibliography

Summarised information from papers marked * have appeared on this website.

*Coder, KD, 1996 Identified Benefits of Community Trees and Forests, University of Georgia
Cooperative Extension Service - Forest Resources Publication FOR96-39

Dwyer, JF, McPherson, EG, Schroeder, HW and Rowntree, R, 1992  Assessing the Benefits and Costs of the Urban Forest, [in] Journal of Arboriculture 18(5), pp 227 - 234.

*Hewitt, N, Stewart, H, Donovan, R and MacKenzie, R, undated. Trees and Sustainable Urban Air Quality, Research summary from Lancaster University at http://www.es.lancs.ac.uk/people/cnh/docs/UrbanTrees.htm

*Kuo, FE and Sullivan, WC, 2001(a)  Environment and Crime in the Inner City. Does Vegetation Reduce Crime [in] Environment and Behavior 33(3), pp 343 - 367

*Kuo, FE and Sullivan, WC, 2001(b) Aggression and Violence in the Inner City - Effects of Environment via Mental Fatigue, [in] Environment and Behavior 33(4), pp 543 - 571

*Kuo, FE, 2003 The role of Arboriculture in a Healthy Social Ecology [in] Journal of Arboriculture 29(3), pp148 – 155

*Nowak, DJ, undated The Effects of Urban Trees on Air Quality, USDA Forest Service, Syracuse, NY

*Taylor, AF, Kuo, FE, Sullivan, WC, 2001 COPING WITH ADD - The Surprising Connection to Green Play Settings [in] Environment and Behavior 33(1), pp 54 - 77

*Wolf, K, 1998(a) Trees in Business Districts - Positive Effects on Consumer Behaviour,
University of Washington College of Forest Resources, Factsheet #30.

*Wolf, K, 1998(b) Trees in Business Districts - Comparing Values of Consumers and
Business, University of Washington College of Forest Resources, Factsheet #31.

*Wolf, K, 1998(c) Urban Forest Values: Economic Benefits of Trees in Cities, University of
Washington College of Forest Resources, Factsheet #29.

*Wolf, K, 1998(d) Urban Nature Benefits: Psycho-Social Dimensions of People and Plants,
University of Washington College of Forest Resources, Factsheet #1.

*Wolf, K, 1999 Grow for the Gold, [in] TreeLink 14, Washington State Department of
Natural Resources

*Wolf, K, 2000 Community Image - Roadside Settings and Public Perceptions, University
of Washington College of Forest Resources, Factsheet #32.

*Wolf, K, 2003 Public Response to the Urban Forest in Inner-City Business Districts, [in]
Journal of Arboriculture 29(3) pp 117 - 126