Planting trees cleans air and more

By Marci Laehr

Friday, April 15, 2005 11:16 AM CDT

Trees aren't just neighborly decoration. They actually can be quite helpful to property owners in a number of ways.

According to the National Arbor Day Foundation, trees add value to your home, help keep your house cool, and break the cold winds to lower your heating costs.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-sized air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. Properly placed around buildings, trees can reduce air conditioning needs by 30 percent, and can save 20 percent to 50 percent in energy used for heating, according to the USDA Forest Service.

In addition, trees can help keep people healthy. The Department of Agriculture says one acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen - enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people.

The National Wildlife Federation said there are about 60 million to 200 million spaces along city streets where trees could be planted, which translates to the potential to absorb 33 million more tons of carbon dioxide and $4 billion in energy cost savings.

Trees also improve water quality, resulting in less runoff and erosion, according to the USDA Forest Service.

And laboratory research at Texas A&M University said visual exposure to settings with trees produced significant recovery from stress within five minutes, as indicated by changes in blood pressure and muscle tension.

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