Benefits of Trees in Our Communities The benefits of trees are significant, earning them the moniker, “workhorses of the environment.” xxix To assess the value of stately shade trees in our communities, a National Tree Benefits Calculator was developed by Casey Trees and the Davey Tree Expert Co. You can take a look at the benefits of individual trees on your home property by visiting the National Tree Benefits Calculator. Or you can use the iTree calculator. While individual trees may result in seemingly small values, collectively all the trees in your community provide significant financial benefits. Read on to learn more about how trees serve as titans of the natural world. Stormwater Management As mentioned, trees play a significant role in water quality. Trees and forests reduce stormwater runoff by capturing and storing rainfall in the canopy and releasing water into the atmosphere through evapotranspiration. In addition, tree roots and leaf litter create soil conditions that promote the infiltration of rainwater into the soil. Trees intercept rainfall, protect soils from erosion and moderate temperature. They add shade to cool creeks, streams, and rivers. Evapotranspiration (the way a tree exchanges gases and moves water into the atmosphere) and nutrient storage are important roles for trees. Trees serve as natural filters for sediment and harmful pollutants and chemicals in the environment. Montgomery County has more than 1,500 miles of streams, eventually all leading to the Chesapeake Bay. Several of them contribute directly to the public water supply for both Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties and the District of Columbia. Some portions of the healthiest streams rely on private landowner stewardship to keep them healthy. For example, portions of the Little Monocacy, Bennett Creek and Ten Mile Creek are in good condition and are privately owned. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) monitoring data consistently shows that water quality is poorest in the most developed sections of the county, and in sections of the county where tree canopy or forest cover is lower. xxx The health of our waters is directly related to forest and tree cover, impervious land use and preventing toxic stormwater runoff from reaching our streams and rivers.
At right: Montgomery County DEP map showing stream conditions between 2016 and 2021. Stream conditions typically are worse in the more densely populated areas of the county where there is more impervious surface and less tree canopy and stormwater best management pr actices. The County’s healthiest streams are all in highly forested watersheds (i.e., the excellent sites in the Upper Patuxent watershed).
51
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker