Fighting Climate Change
Climate change is the biggest challenge facing the health of our planet. And while it will take many solutions working together to make a difference, trees are the proven, affordable, natural way that can be implemented quickly to pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere today. Every tree planted is a step in the right direction.
Strengthening Communities
Trees play a critical role in creating healthier, safer, and more connected communities. They clean our air, filter our water, and even slow storm surge and flooding in our cities. Trees also provide shade and cool our cities by up to 10 degrees, which can help prevent heat-related deaths in urban areas.
Even as social and economic issues fracture our society, trees continue to connect communities, cultures, and generations. Neighborhood trees have shown the ability to reduce stress, improve overall health and development in children, and encourage physical activity. And a healthy community-wide tree canopy fosters economic advantages as well as an increase in civic pride among residents.
Nurturing Biodiversity
Healthy forests, whether in natural or urban spaces, are key to the health of some of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world. Trees support wildlife and aquatic life by providing habitat and helping to keep waterways healthy. This ensures that ecosystem balance can be maintained and biodiversity can thrive.
Forests rich in biodiversity benefit the human population, too. Trees and other forest life work together to ensure a clean source of drinking water, buffer against extreme weather, provide medicines, offer outdoor recreation, and enrich human culture.
Taming Stormwater
In areas where homes, businesses, schools, roads, and parking lots expand, natural tree cover is often lost, along with the vital absorbing capacity of vegetation and soil. Without the benefits provided by trees and green infrastructure, beneficial rainfall turns into expensive stormwater runoff, surging through gutters and pipes after a storm. This runoff carries oils, heavy metals, and other harmful pollutants into our rivers and lakes. Consequently, fish and wildlife suffer, drinking water becomes costly or challenging to purify, property values decline, and our living environment deteriorates.
Fortunately, there are steps we can take to optimize the valuable rainfall and enhance its benefits for everyone: planting new trees and preserving existing ones.
National Tree Benefit Calculator
Tree Facts
What can a tree do for you? A lot. Check out all the ways—sometimes unexpected—that trees positively affect us, our communities, and our world.
Trees help clean our air
Global forests have been instrumental in combating climate change, removing about one-third of fossil fuel emissions annually. Trees also play a critical role in improving air quality and public health by filtering pollution from the atmosphere. Additionally, roadside trees can significantly enhance indoor air quality, reducing nearby pollution levels by more than 50%.
Trees contribute to our health
A study across 10 cities found that community forests save an average of one life each year, with New York City trees alone saving eight lives annually. Additionally, office workers with a view of trees experience significantly less stress and greater job satisfaction.
Trees provide us with oxygen
A single large tree can supply a day's worth of oxygen for up to four people, while the Amazon Rainforest alone produces more than 20% of the world’s oxygen, highlighting the vital role forests play in sustaining life on Earth.
Trees help clean our drinking water
Forested watersheds are crucial for providing quality drinking water to over 180 million Americans. In 1997, New York City invested $1.5 billion to preserve its forested watershed by acquiring thousands of acres upstate, avoiding the need for a $6 billion filtration plant. As a result, New Yorkers now enjoy some of the cleanest drinking water in the world, with the city winning regional water taste competitions.
Trees provide much-needed cooling
Trees significantly reduce surface and air temperatures by providing shade, with shaded surfaces being 20–45°F cooler than unshaded ones. In cities, trees can lower temperatures by up to 10°F by shading homes and streets and releasing water vapor through their leaves, which further enhances their cooling effect through evaporation.
Trees help reduce the effects of climate change
Trees play a vital role in combating climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) and storing the carbon while releasing oxygen back into the air. In one year, an acre of mature trees can absorb as much CO2 as a car produces when driven 26,000 miles. A single mature tree alone can absorb over 48 pounds of CO2 annually, offsetting nearly 20 pounds of CO2 generated by burning one gallon of non-ethanol gasoline.
Trees help us save energy
Properly placed trees around buildings can significantly reduce energy consumption, cutting air conditioning needs by 30% and saving 20–50% on heating costs. In Cincinnati, community trees save the average household $56 annually in cooling costs, totaling $4.8 million in savings across the city. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that positioning just three trees strategically can reduce a household's energy bills by $100 to $250 per year, lowering overall energy use by up to 25%.
Trees benefit wildlife
Trees are essential for providing vital wildlife habitat, supporting a wide range of species. In British Columbia, over 80 wildlife species rely on trees for survival. Trees and forests also define critical species ranges, with many animals, such as the North American mountain lion, needing territories that span hundreds of square miles, including nearly 400 square miles for their habitat.
Trees help reduce crime
In urban areas, trees can have a significant impact on reducing crime. In Baltimore, a 10% increase in tree canopy was linked to a 12% decrease in crime. Similarly, areas with trees experience less graffiti, vandalism, and littering compared to those without greenery. In Chicago, residents of public housing with nearby trees and natural landscapes reported 25% fewer acts of domestic aggression and violence, highlighting the role of trees in fostering safer communities.
Trees are a good investment of our public dollars
Investing in community trees yields substantial returns, with benefits ranging from cleaner air and lower energy costs to improved water quality, stormwater control, and increased property values. Each dollar spent on tree planting and care can generate two to five times that investment. In Indianapolis, every dollar invested in community trees returns $5.55 in benefits, while in New York City, the return is $5.60 per dollar. In Beverly Hills, mature street trees are valued at $450 million, and in Berkeley, individual trees like camphor and shamel ash provide annual net benefits of nearly $12,500 and $9,600, respectively.
Trees increase our property values
In Portland, Oregon, homes with street trees sold for an average of $7,130 more and 1.7 days faster than those without, with nearby homes within 100 feet of street trees also selling for about $1,688 more. The presence of street trees had a sale premium equivalent to adding 129 square feet of finished space. Similarly, in Fulton County, Georgia, mature trees significantly boosted home sale prices, with homes in tree-filled neighborhoods selling for nearly $105,000 more.
