The Benefits of Planting Trees

Fairfax County's Urban Forest By the Numbers

Data from i-Tree Ecosystem Analysis 2017

How Do Trees Benefit You and Your Property?

• Energy conservation: Properties with trees that shade homes from afternoon sun often have energy costs that are 20-25 percent lower than those without.
• Increased property values: Healthy, mature trees add an average of 10 percent to a property's value and landscaping with trees can increase property values as much as 20 percent.
• Trees increase your property's curb appeal.
• Increased salability of homes: The majority of realtors surveyed believe that mature trees have a "strong or moderate impact" on the salability of homes.
• Stress reduction: It has been shown that exposure to trees can decrease blood pressure and reduce muscle tension.
• Screening: Trees increase privacy and reduce the impacts of unwanted views, lights, wind and noise on your property.
• Enhanced quality of life.

How Do Trees Benefit Your Community?

• Improved air quality: Once mature, the additional canopy will provide 5.3 million dollars of air pollution removal annually.
• Increased carbon dioxide absorption and storage: The additional canopy will absorb over 10 million pounds of carbon dioxide annually and eliminate the need for spending over one million dollars in greenhouse gas reduction services each year.
• Energy conservation: 4.7 million dollars of energy conservation services will be provided by the additional canopy annually.
• Improved water quality.
• Improved wildlife habitat.
• Decreased stormwater runoff: The stormwater management capacity associated with the additional mature tree canopy is estimated to cost $510,632,400 to construct.
• Cooled ambient air temperature.

i-Tree Design Calculates Projected Benefits

Below is an example of i-Tree Design's Total Projected Benefits (2017-2047) for a site

Over the next 30 years, based on forecasted tree growth, i-Tree Design projects total benefits worth $3,918.

• $1,560 of stormwater runoff savings by intercepting 157,584 gallons of rainfall
• $88 of air quality improvement savings by absorbing and intercepting pollutants such as ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter; reducing energy production needs; and lowering air temperature.
• $312 of savings by reducing 32,150 pounds of atmospheric carbon dioxide through CO2 sequestration and decreased energy production needs and emissions
• $1,323 of summer energy savings by direct shading and air cooling effect through evapotranspiration
• $635 of winter energy savings by slowing down winds and reducing home heat loss