Trees provide benefits that promote health, social wellbeing, and even help your home. Trees serve many purposes in your local community and throughout the entire world.

Social Benefits
• Trees provide beauty and help people feel serene, peaceful, restful and tranquil.
• Trees significantly reduce workplace stress and fatigue and decrease recovery time after medical procedures.
• Trees may help reduce criminal activity.

Economic Benefits
• Property values of landscaped homes are 5%– 20% higher than non landscaped homes.
• Individual trees have value that is affected by size, condition, and function. In general, the larger the tree, the greater the value.
• Air conditioning costs are lower in a tree-shaded home; and heating costs are reduced when a home has a windbreak.
• Well-maintained trees can add value to a home.

Communal Benefits
• City trees often serve architectural and engineering functions by providing privacy, emphasizing views or obstructing objectionable views.
• Trees may reduce glare/reflection or direct pedestrian traffic.
• Trees may soften, complement, or enhance architecture.
• Trees bring natural elements and wildlife habitats into urban surroundings, all of which increase the quality of life for residents in the community.

Environmental Benefits
A: Leaves filter the air we breathe by removing dust and other particles; absorbing carbon dioxide and various air pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide; and release oxygen.
B: Deciduous shade trees cool homes in the summer and allow the winter sun to heat homes when they lose their leaves.
C: Trees help cool the environment, working as a simple and effective way to reduce urban heat islands (pavement and buildings in commercial areas cause higher temperatures by absorbing the sun’s heat).
D: Trees can serve as a windbreak. The more compact the foliage on the group of trees the more effective the windbreak.
E: Trees intercept water, store some of it and reduce stormwater runoff.

©2021 International Society of Arboriculture. (v02.2021)
Through research, technology, and education, the International Society of Arboriculture promotes the professional practice of arboriculture and fosters a greater worldwide awareness of the benefits of trees.

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