This comprehensive review by Jessica Turner-Skoff, PhD, details the scientific advantages of trees, backed by extensive research citations. Turner-Skoff is a Board of Directors member at The Chicago Council of Science and Technology and holds a presidency emeritus at the Auxiliary Board. Additionally, she is involved with the Seed Your Future movement as an advisory council member and teaches Economic Botany and Science Communication at the Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area.
CRTI is a partnership of communities, individuals, organizations, green industry, businesses, and governments working together to develop and implement strategies for a healthier, more diverse, more equitable urban forest by 2050. Thime information below is provided on their web site
Numerous articles on surfsidewa.com have examined the role of trees in stormwater management, discussing their benefits for climate change mitigation, stormwater managment and other areas based on factual evidence.
Research below spanning three decades has highlighted the crucial role trees play in enhancing community well-being and addressing urban challenges. Trees significantly contribute to stormwater management, mental and physical health improvements, crime reduction, pollution control, and wildlife support, establishing themselves as key components of urban planning for natural solutions to numerous issues.
The Chicago Region Trees Initiative illustrates that investing in tree planting and maintenance can yield returns exceeding 500%, attributed to the myriad ecosystem services provided by trees. These include reducing runoff and pollution, lowering energy costs, mitigating the effects of urban heat, and boosting human health. Trees enhance cognitive functions such as attention and memory, lower stress, increase life satisfaction, reduce mortality rates, and promote quicker recovery in hospital settings. Moreover, they play a vital role in reducing noise pollution, protecting roadways, storing carbon, and enhancing urban food security.
Trees also foster community safety and cohesion. Residents often harbor strong positive feelings toward trees, appreciating their value in urban landscapes. Proper tree care is associated with decreased neighborhood crime rates, increased social capital, and enhanced community cohesion. Large, old trees, in particular, are invaluable both ecologically and culturally, offering habitats for various species, aiding environmental processes, and storing substantial amounts of carbon. Despite their significance, these trees are globally in decline..
Tree benefits
This list below , while not exhaustive, offers a summary of the numerous direct and indirect scientific advantages that trees and green spaces with trees offer to people. The numbers correspond to studies provided in the reference list at the end.
Trees have a high return on investment due to ecosystem services.
Reducing stormwater runoff¹⁰⁻¹²
Reducing air and water pollution¹³⁻¹⁷
Reducing energy costs and use associated with heating and cooling¹³⁻¹⁷
Reducing the urban heat island²²
https://chicagorti.org/tree-benefits/#economic-benefits is
Trees keep citizens healthy and happy.
Increase attention, memory³⁵ ³⁶, reflection³⁷ and focus³⁸
Reduce stress³⁹ or increased ability to recover from stress⁴⁰
Increase life satisfaction⁴¹ and positive thoughts or emotions⁴²⁻⁴⁴
Lower mortality rates from non-accidental deaths⁴⁵⁻⁴⁷
Shorten recovery times in the hospital⁴⁸ and increased perception of health⁴⁹
Increase physical activity⁵⁰
Reduce diastolic blood pressure⁵¹
The Scientific Benefits of Trees
Trees have a high return on investment due to ecosystem services.
Protecting roadways and reducing the amount of asphalt sealers required²³
Reducing noise pollution²⁴
Providing valuable carbon storage and sequestration²⁵ ²⁶
Increasing food security of urban areas²⁷ ²⁸
https://chicagorti.org/tree-benefits/#health-benefits
Trees encourage a sense of community and keep people safe.
Trees evoke strong positive emotions in people⁶⁰. Urban residents value trees⁶¹ and people like looking at trees⁶². Well-maintained trees can reduce crime in a neighborhood. In fact, the loss of trees in neighborhoods due to pest infestation has been positively associated with increases in crime⁶³.
This phenomenon of trees reducing crime rate has been observed in numerous studies:
Well-maintained trees are related to lower crime rates⁶⁴⁻⁶⁶
A green view from a home can lower aggression and violence in that home⁶⁷
Well-maintained trees are related to reduced property crimes and violent crimes⁶⁸
Increased social capital⁶⁹ ⁷⁰ and ultimately increased supervision of children⁷¹
Increased sense of community and safety⁶⁹ ⁷² ⁷³
https://chicagorti.org/tree-benefits/#community-benefits
Large, old trees provide the most benefit.
Large trees provide critical benefits for their role in:
Creating habitat for other species³ ⁷⁷ ⁷⁸
Managing important environmental cycles and processes³
Storing and sequestering significant amounts of carbon⁷⁹
https://chicagorti.org/tree-benefits/#benefits-of-large-old-trees
Tree benefit references:
This list, while not exhaustive, offers a summary of the numerous direct and indirect scientific advantages that trees and green spaces with trees offer to people. The list includes 79 scientific studies and publications covering the benefits of trees. This is only a small list of thousands of studies worldwide published by experts supporting the benefits of trees in protecting us.
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