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- According to the Center for Watershed Protection, an urban tree canopy (UTC) "is the layer of leaves, branches and stems of trees that cover the ground when viewed from above."
- The UTC is essential to many things in an urban community. The canopy produces shade and reduces the urban heating. Urban tree canopies reduce pollution, provide beauty and provide habitats for wildlife. The UTC also provides important water management by intercepting rainfall that would otherwise run off the concrete, getting polluted before running into the water supply.
- Each city should assess its urban tree canopy. To make goals, each city needs to know where they stand. The percentage of city ground covered when looked at from above should be taken into account before planning UTC goals.
- Each city needs to set goals to strengthen and increase its UTC. As of 2000, John Dwyer and David Nowak estimated that as little as 27 percent of urban areas were covered by canopy. A study published by American Forests in 2010 found the Charlotte, N.C., area had lost 33 percent of its Urban Tree Canopy. This percentage includes trees that are subject to a number of pollutants. The trees filter out these pollutants, making the air quality better, but reducing the lifespan of the trees. American Forests recommends at least a 40 percent canopy in areas east of the Mississippi and in the Pacific Northwest. Goals should include a plan to not only increase the percentage of UTC, but also a plan to replace and keep the current trees healthy.
- Increases in UTC mean more pollution filtered, more water saved, decreases in heating and cooling costs and an increase in quality of life for residents. Each city needs to have a plan for increasing and maintaining a quality UTC to provide shade, environmental benefits, financial benefits and enjoyment for residents.
Urban Tree Canopy
Benefits
Assessment
Setting Goals
Significance
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