Roadside Guide to Clean Water: Urban and Suburban Trees
Urban and Suburban Trees at a Glance
Trees growing in communities, adjacent to residential and commercial properties, parks, along roads, and in parking lots provide a wealth of environmental, social, and economic benefits, such as temperature modification and energy conservation; air pollution removal, improved human health, stormwater reduction, and water quality improvements. Planting new trees or preserving existing large, maturing canopy trees provides the most stormwater benefits. This is a simple, cost-effective practice to improve water quality in urban and suburban landscapes.
How Urban and Suburban Trees Work
Trees reduce stormwater and associated pollutant loads in several ways. Trees act as large umbrellas, intercepting rainfall in their canopies and often keeping that rain from ever reaching the ground. Deciduous trees can intercept 700 to 1,500 gallons per year, while an evergreen can intercept more than 4,000 gallons per year. Large trees that produce canopy cover over paved surfaces such as streets, sidewalks, and parking lots provide the most stormwater benefit. Trees develop extensive, deep roots that increase infiltration of stormwater. Actively growing trees are natural water pumps that return water back to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration. A mature tree can transpire 100 gallons per day. Trees actively remove nutrients and other pollutants, such as heavy metals and chemicals (gas, oil, and pesticides) from polluted stormwater - a process called phytoremediation. Polluted stormwater can be treated and flooding reduced when the water is directed into areas planted with trees, instead of being piped directly to a stream.
Community Benefits of Urban and Suburban Trees
- Stormwater: Reduces stormwater runoff
- Pollution: Reduces pollution
- Flooding: Mitigates flooding
- Climate Change: Promotes climate change resiliency
- Habitat: Provides wildlife habitat
- Savings: Provides cost savings
- Landscape: Beautifies the landscape
You can expect to find urban and suburban tree plantings in urban and suburban settings.
How to Recognize Urban and Suburban Trees
