{"id":21384,"date":"2022-04-08T16:11:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-08T20:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/?p=21384"},"modified":"2026-04-05T13:26:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T17:26:13","slug":"5-benefits-of-urban-forests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/5-benefits-of-urban-forests\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Benefits of Urban Forests"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

Urban forests, or community forests, are defined as a collection of trees in cities and suburban areas. These forests are estimated to cover 35.1%<\/a> of urban areas across the United States. They include trees in residential properties, along city streets and those planted in parks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We recently spoke with Robert Bardon<\/a>, associate dean for extension at the College of Natural Resources, to learn more about the many environmental, economic and social benefits these forests provide. Here\u2019s what we found out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reduced Energy Costs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Electrical<\/a>
Photo by Matthew Henry via Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Urban trees create a 7% reduction<\/a> in the energy used for heating and cooling U.S. homes. \u201cIf you have shade trees around your home, you pay less in energy costs, especially during the summer,\u201d Bardon said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers at the USDA’s Forest Service found that U.S. urban forests save $7.8 billion<\/a> annually in avoided residential heating and cooling costs and an additional $3.9 billion in avoided emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improved Mental Well-Being<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/a>
Photo by lovro77 via iStock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

NC State researchers continue to find that spending more time in nature can improve mental health. Trees help us to relax and urban forests create valuable outdoor spaces for recreation, according to Bardon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTrees help us to enjoy the outdoors more,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re more likely to go outdoors and our kids are more likely to play in the outdoors when there\u2019s trees in the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studies have also shown that urban forests help hospital patients recover more quickly. Patients staying in rooms with windows and views of surrounding trees recover faster than those without these views, according to Bardon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbon Storage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Factory<\/a>
Photo by Nik Shuliahin via Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A mature tree can absorb 48 pounds<\/a> of carbon dioxide annually, about the equivalent of driving 50 miles. This carbon remains in the tree\u2019s tissues until it is burned or decomposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Forest Service’s i-Tree County tool<\/a>, Raleigh\u2019s urban forests provide $276 million annually to the community from carbon storage alone. The tool can also be used to calculate other benefits, including avoided runoff, air pollution and energy usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decreased Runoff<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Water<\/a>
Photo by Animaflora via iStock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Trees significantly reduce runoff by taking up water through their roots. In fact, runoff from an area covered in impervious surface is five times that<\/a> of a forested watershed of the same size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reduced runoff leads to improved water quality, as it reduces the amount of polluted runoff that enters our waterways. Urban forests also reduce the risk of flooding and promote the restoration of groundwater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to i-Tree, Raleigh\u2019s urban forest saves $4.5 million each year in avoided runoff-related costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increased Home Values and Incomes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Street<\/a>
Photo by Zac Gudakov via Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In addition to providing economic benefits at the community level, trees also benefit individual homeowners. \u201cAt the homeowner level, a tree on your landscape or around your house can increase the dollar value received for your home if you\u2019re selling it,\u201d Bardon said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to one study<\/a>, a tree planted in the front yard can increase a home\u2019s sale price by $7,130 and raise the sale prices of surrounding homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Healthy urban forests also correlate with higher incomes, according to Bardon. \u201cIn communities that have thriving urban forests, you often see higher incomes, higher numbers of jobs associated with those communities, and higher productivity of workers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n

Urban forests, or community forests, are defined as a collection of trees in cities and suburban areas. These forests are estimated to cover 35.1%<\/a> of urban areas across the United States. They include trees in residential properties, along city streets and those planted in parks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We recently spoke with Robert Bardon<\/a>, associate dean for extension at the College of Natural Resources, to learn more about the many environmental, economic and social benefits these forests provide. Here\u2019s what we found out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reduced Energy Costs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Electrical<\/a>
Photo by Matthew Henry via Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Urban trees create a 7% reduction<\/a> in the energy used for heating and cooling U.S. homes. \u201cIf you have shade trees around your home, you pay less in energy costs, especially during the summer,\u201d Bardon said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers at the USDA's Forest Service found that U.S. urban forests save $7.8 billion<\/a> annually in avoided residential heating and cooling costs and an additional $3.9 billion in avoided emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improved Mental Well-Being<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/a>
Photo by lovro77 via iStock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

NC State researchers continue to find that spending more time in nature can improve mental health. Trees help us to relax and urban forests create valuable outdoor spaces for recreation, according to Bardon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTrees help us to enjoy the outdoors more,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re more likely to go outdoors and our kids are more likely to play in the outdoors when there\u2019s trees in the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studies have also shown that urban forests help hospital patients recover more quickly. Patients staying in rooms with windows and views of surrounding trees recover faster than those without these views, according to Bardon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carbon Storage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Factory<\/a>
Photo by Nik Shuliahin via Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A mature tree can absorb 48 pounds<\/a> of carbon dioxide annually, about the equivalent of driving 50 miles. This carbon remains in the tree\u2019s tissues until it is burned or decomposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Forest Service's i-Tree County tool<\/a>, Raleigh\u2019s urban forests provide $276 million annually to the community from carbon storage alone. The tool can also be used to calculate other benefits, including avoided runoff, air pollution and energy usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decreased Runoff<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Water<\/a>
Photo by Animaflora via iStock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Trees significantly reduce runoff by taking up water through their roots. In fact, runoff from an area covered in impervious surface is five times that<\/a> of a forested watershed of the same size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reduced runoff leads to improved water quality, as it reduces the amount of polluted runoff that enters our waterways. Urban forests also reduce the risk of flooding and promote the restoration of groundwater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to i-Tree, Raleigh\u2019s urban forest saves $4.5 million each year in avoided runoff-related costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increased Home Values and Incomes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Street<\/a>
Photo by Zac Gudakov via Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In addition to providing economic benefits at the community level, trees also benefit individual homeowners. \u201cAt the homeowner level, a tree on your landscape or around your house can increase the dollar value received for your home if you\u2019re selling it,\u201d Bardon said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to one study<\/a>, a tree planted in the front yard can increase a home\u2019s sale price by $7,130 and raise the sale prices of surrounding homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Healthy urban forests also correlate with higher incomes, according to Bardon. \u201cIn communities that have thriving urban forests, you often see higher incomes, higher numbers of jobs associated with those communities, and higher productivity of workers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Urban forests provide a variety of environmental, economic and social benefits to communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":21716,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"caption\":\"Photo by Daniiielc via iStock\",\"displayCategoryID\":111,\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111,102,3],"tags":[43,261,265,362],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"class_list":["post-21384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fer-research","category-hidden-newswire","category-research-innovation","tag-extension-and-outreach","tag-fer-research","tag-forest-health","tag-forestry-and-environmental-resources"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":111,"name":"Forestry and Environmental Resources Research","slug":"fer-research","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":111,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":3,"count":90,"filter":"raw"},"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21384"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21384\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41907,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21384\/revisions\/41907"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21384"},{"taxonomy":"_ncst_magazine_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_ncst_magazine_issue?post=21384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}