Greening Your Community

1. Greening Your Community An Old-Fashioned, New Recipe for Community Tree Survival

2. Ohio DNRUrban Forestry Assistance ProgramSince 1979

3. Goal • Provide tools for Ohio communities to develop & manage comprehensive tree care programs

4. Organizational Assistance How We Help Technical Assistance Best PracticesInformation Grants

5. …Improve theQuality of LifeofOhio’s Citizens

6. Humans Evolved With Trees We’re Programmed to Live Together

8. Humans Need Trees • Oxygen & Clean Water • value of U.S. urban forests ≈ $4 billion/year • Food • Shelter • Protection • Comfort • Ecosystem Services

9. American ForestsCanopy Coverage Goals • Average tree cover = 40% • Suburban residential zones 50% • Urban residential zones 25% • Central business districts 15%

10. Investing in Treesis Good for Business! Large-stature trees deliver big savings benefits we can’t ignore Trees are the only piece of urban infrastructure that appreciates in value

11. Investing in Treesis Good for Business! • Average tree care cost/year ≈ $13 • Large tree returns/year ≈ $65 ($80-120) • Energy savings • Cleaner air • Stormwater Management • Extended street life • Higher property values • Police/judicial system savings uncalculated • Small tree returns/year ≈ $15

12. Humans ShapeTree Habitat

13. Pre EuropeanSettlement Sustainable

14. Remnant Civilization

15. 99% Forested

16. Westward Ho!

18. Dayton Pre WWII More Cars Post WWII-1972 Interstate System Aged Urban Area 2000-2008 Housing Boom Edge Cities Mini Mall Era

19. Today

20. Today’s Urban Environment = Unnatural

21. Transpiration O2 Respiration CO2 Photosynthesis C6H12O6 Photosynthesis C6H12O6 H2O & Nutrients Sugar Storage

22. Tree Requirements • Water • Air • Space • Soil Good Soil% By Volume

23. “O” layer Top soil “A” layer “B” layer Parent Material “C” layer Sub soil Only difference between top soil & subsoil is organic material & time

24. Established Trees

28. Soil Compaction

31. New Tree Plantings

32. We Expect Trees to Fit in Our Space • ½ between sidewalk & curb • Every 40 ft • Not over gas or water meters • 10 ft from driveway aprons

36. Other Losses • Monetary value • Investment • Ecosystem services • Property values • Socio-economic benefits • Species/Age diversity • Program support • Credibility

37. Soil Damage

38. 1997 Soil/Tree Survey • Trees growing on streets developed BeforeWorld War II growing well AfterWorld War II doing poorly

39. 1997 Soil/Tree Survey • Soils on streets developed BeforeWorld War II have clearly defined A-B-C soil horizons AfterWorld War II have an A-C soil horizon with a clear separation of topsoil & subsoil

40. What Happened?

43. $ $

44. Construction Soil Damage • Topsoil/O-A-B horizons removed & mixed • The structure of the soil is destroyed • Soil is compacted

45. Good Soil Urbanized Soil

46. Changes in Soil Characteristics • Physical • Texture • Structure • Bulk Density • Chemical • pH • Cation Exchange Capacity • Nutrients • Biological • Organic Matter • Soil Life

48. Urbanized Old “O” layer Top soil “A” Layer “B” Layer “C” layer Sub soil Parent material

49. Can We Remedy This?

50. O A Ap B