Fun Facts About Trees
Skip Navigation LinksHome > Fun Facts About Trees > Trees and the Environment

Trees and the Environment

  • Trees renew our air supply by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.
  • The amount of oxygen produced by an acre of trees per year equals the amount consumed by 18 people annually. One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year.
  • One acre of trees removes up to 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide each year.
  • Shade trees can make buildings up to 20 degrees cooler in the summer.
  • Trees lower air temperature by evaporating water in their leaves.
  • Tree roots stabilize soil and prevent erosion.
  • Trees improve water quality by slowing and filtering rain water, as well as protecting aquifers and watersheds.
  • The cottonwood tree seed is the seed that stays in flight the longest. The tiny seed is surrounded by ultra-light, white fluff hairs that can carry it on the air for several days.

News

National Tree Benefits Calculator
The Tree Benefit Calculator allows anyone to make a simple estimation of the benefits individual street-side trees provide. This tool is based on i-Tree’s street tree assessment tool called STRATUM. With inputs of location, species and tree size, users will get an understanding of the environmental and economic value trees provide on an annual basis. The Tree Benefit Calculator is intended to be simple and accessible. As such, this tool should be considered a starting point for understanding trees’ value in the community, rather than a scientific accounting of precise values. For more detailed information on urban and community forest assessments, visit the i-Tree website. MORE >>

Best Trees For The Street
Scientist John Hammond of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific research agency, has announced the findings of a four-year project to determine the best trees to use in urban spaces. MORE >>

Bradford Pears Not Kind to Cities
This tree species has weak branch connections and limbs are prone to falling down. MORE >>

Selling Houses By the Yard
Worried home owners hope landscaping adds value- from the Wall Street Journal MORE >>

USDA Newsroom
USDA's collection of "hot topic" press releases ranging from current pest alerts for specific regions of the United States to new trends in disease prevention and tree and plant care. MORE >>

Don't Move Firewood - Protect Nation's Forests
This camping and hunting season, get your firewood from a vendor close to your destination. Don’t pack your own! Invasive insects and diseases in dead and dying wood threaten our native trees and forests. If you move firewood, you could be giving these pests a free ride to new territory. MORE >>

NADF Hardiness Zone Map
Find out the right tree to plant where you live MORE >>


"The greatest achievements were at first and for a time dreams. The oak sleeps in the acorn." James Allen (1864 - 1912), writer

Resources

Benefits of Trees Brochure

Available through the ISA Web store

There's Money in Your Trees
How much are your trees worth? Most likely more than you think. MORE >>

© International Society of Arboriculture 2009
P.O. Box 3129, Champaign, IL 61826
Email comments & questions to isa@isa-arbor.com