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Carbon, Climate, Change

In the first effort to estimate the overall impact of a city’s urban forest on concentrations of fine particulate pollution (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns, or PM2.5), a U.S. Forest Service and Davey Institute study found that urban trees and forests are saving an average of one life every year per city. In New York City, trees save an average of eight lives every year. Of course, trees also can generate additional environmental and economic benefits.

Researchers looked specifically at particles less than 2.5 microns, which can increase the risk of conditions such as atherosclerosis and lung inflammation. The team calculated the likely effects of tree cover on the health of residents in 10 cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Minneapolis.

Trees removed 4.7 to 64.5 tons of these particles from the air per year.

This benefit is worth $1.1 million to $60.1 million, the authors say. In the tropics and subtropical regions of the world, the impact is even greater because the trees are growing and breathing year round.

The researchers estimate that the reduction in pollution prevented about one death per year in each city; that figure went up to 7.6 in New York, partly because so many people live there. Trees in Los Angeles were less effective at cleaning the air because lack of rain keeps the particles from washing off leaves.

reforest Africa and global warming and climate change

Fine particulate air pollution has serious health effects, including premature mortality, pulmonary inflammation, accelerated atherosclerosis, and altered cardiac functions. In a study recently published on-line by the journal Environmental Pollution, researchers David Nowak and Robert Hoehn of the U.S. Forest Service and Satoshi Hirabayashi and Allison Bodine of the Davey Institute in Syracuse, N.Y., estimated how much fine particulate matter is removed by trees in 10 cities, their impact on PM2.5 concentrations and associated values and impacts on human health.

“More than 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas containing over 100 million acres of trees and forests,“ said Michael T. Rains, Director of the Forest Service´s Northern Research Station and Acting Director of the Forest Products Lab. “œThis research clearly illustrates that America´s urban forests are critical capital investments helping produce clear air and water; reduce energy costs; and, making cities more livable. Simply put, our urban forests improve people´s lives.“

Cities included in the study were Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Syracuse, NY.

Overall, the greatest effect of trees on reducing health impacts of PM2.5 occurred in New York due to its relatively large human population and the trees´ moderately high removal rate and reduction in pollution concentration. The greatest overall removal by trees was in Atlanta due to its relatively high percent tree cover and PM2.5 concentrations.

“Trees can make cities healthier,“ Nowak said. “While we need more research to generate better estimates, this study suggests that trees are an effective tool in reducing air pollution and creating healthier urban environments.“

The removal of PM2.5 by urban trees is substantially lower than for larger particulate matter, but the health implications and values are much higher. The total amount of PM2.5 removed annually by trees varied from 4.7 metric tons in Syracuse to 64.5 metric tons in Atlanta, with annual values varying from $1.1 million in Syracuse to $60.1 million in New York City. Most of these values were dominated by the effects of reducing human mortality; the average value per reduced death was $7.8 million. Reduction in human mortality ranged from one person per 365,000 people in Atlanta to one person per 1.35 million people in San Francisco.

Researchers used the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency´s BenMAP program to estimate the incidence of adverse health effects, such as mortality and morbidity, and associated monetary value that result from changes in PM2.5 concentrations. Local population statistics from the 2010 U.S. Census were also used in the model.

The mission of the U.S. Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of our nation’s forests; 850 million acres including 100 million acres of urban forests where most Americans live. The mission of the Forest Service’s Northern Research Station is to improve people’s lives and help sustain the natural resources in the Northeast and Midwest through leading-edge science and effective information delivery.

climate change and deforestation

Sacred Seedlings is a global initiative to support forest conservationreforestationurban forestrycarbon capture, sustainable agriculture and wildlife conservation. Sustainable land management is critical to the survival of entire ecosystems. Sacred Seedlings is a charitable division of Crossbow Communications.

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Avatar Gary Chandler

Author: Gary Chandler

Gary Chandler is the founder and Executive Director of Sacred Seedlings.

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