Andrew Nguyen Benefit Cost Analysis of Urban Landscaping Trees 05 09 05 A Benefit Cost Analysis of Ten Urban Landscaping Trees in Berkeley CA Andrew Nguyen Abstract A cost benefit analysis was conducted for ten trees found in the City of Berkeley Inventory on urban forestry Using models from previous analyses and studies this study quantified the ecological benefits of energy conservation potential atmospheric CO2 reductions air quality impacts and rainwater runoff in economic and monetary terms for each of the ten species of trees London Plane Sycamore Platanus acerifolia Purple Leaf Plum Prunus cerasifera Liquidambar Liquidambar styraciflua Camphor Cinnamomum camphora Chinese Elm Ulmus parvifolia Oriental Cherry Prunus serrulata Victorian Box Pittosporum Pittosporum undulatum Shamel Ash Fraxinus uhdei English Elm Ulmus procera Modesto Ash Fraxinus velutina glabra These benefit values were then weighed against the direct costs of tree purchase pruning debris removal tree removal and watering From the benefit cost difference Camphor had the highest benefits across the board in terms of energy savings carbon sequestration and pollutant cycling and rainfall reductions and hence should be used as a preferential tree for urban landscaping p 1 Andrew Nguyen Benefit Cost Analysis of Urban Landscaping Trees 05 09 05 Introduction Urban forests are public investments that pay society back enhancing the look feel and visual identity of communities as well as improving environmental conditions through energy conservation air pollution filtration and stormwater runoff reduction Good landscaping decisions balance aesthetics and community values with economic factors such as the cost of implantation maintenance and removal Clark et al 1997 The types of tree species and their planting locations in urban landscape are based on a number of factors including species age and diversity growth requirements site conditions practicality aesthetic appropriateness and the historic and cultural context of the surrounding areas Gilman 1997 Municipal urban forestry programs have sought to maintain sustain and enhance the community s forests through strategic landscape planning Over the past 30 years the City of Berkeley s Parks Recreation and Waterfront Department for example has actively planted over 30 000 trees 5 000 of which are located in parks and along local streets and roads City of Berkeley 2004 Under the Releaf Program of the city s Tree Policy and Tree Master Plan Berkeley continues to plant over 800 trees a year on the streets parks and public areas of the city City of Berkeley 2004 However Berkeley s municipal urban forestry programs may face new pressures in the near future due to financial constraints As the State of California continues to deal with its budget woes statewide funding for municipal redevelopment and public works must be constrained Allocating resources for urban forestry tend to be lower priority when cities and counties prioritize funding amongst competing needs In this context urban landscaping requires more cost effective and efficient solutions to make wise use of limited funding The purpose of this study is to provide a quantitative and qualitative comparison of landscaping trees commonly used in Berkeley to provide meaningful recommendations regarding which species can maximize present and future economic benefits in terms of both direct financial costs and ecological processes This will simultaneously protect community interests and promote informed decisions about future urban forestry management Whereas previous landscaping decision making was motivated by aesthetic and personal preference issues the economic analysis provided by this study will provide valuable statistical evidence for preferential species planting in urban environments This study analyzes tree suitability for urban forestry landscaping by looking at ten tree species commonly planted in Berkeley and determining the tree species potential to conserve p 2 Andrew Nguyen Benefit Cost Analysis of Urban Landscaping Trees 05 09 05 energy reduce atmospheric CO2 and filter air pollutants This study also evaluates total annual landscaping and maintenance costs in terms of initial purchase implantation and maintenance as well as watering costs The following ten trees were selected for detailed evaluation in this study because they are among the most abundant trees in Berkeley based on a 1990 street tree inventory City of Berkeley 2000 Sycamore London Plane Platanus acerifolia Plum Purple Leaf Prunus cerasifera Liquidambar Liquidambar styraciflua Camphor Cinnamomum camphora Elm Chinese Ulmus parvifolia Cherry Oriental Prunus serrulata Pittosporum Victorian Box Pittosporum undulatum Ash Shamel Fraxinus uhdei Elm English Ulmus procera Ash Modesto Fraxinus velutina glabra Brief descriptions of each species ecology and characteristics can be found in Table 1 Most of the above listed species are ornamental trees not native to the Berkeley area but do well in the region s Mediterranean type climate and have characteristics suitable for street trees These qualities include but are not limited to rapid growth relatively low water maintenance requirements tolerance to various soil pHs and nutrient availability non serious pest attractants and various aesthetic qualities such as leaf and flower size and color According to the City of Berkeley 2004 records London Plane Sycamore Platanus acerifolia is one of the largest and also archetypal species of landscaping trees in the City of Berkeley An inventory by Thomas J Pehrson in the late 1980s found P acerifolia as one of the most abundant species in the Berkeley area constituting more than 29 of all trees in Berkeley Also it constitutes almost 23 of trees planted the largest percentage of all others Purple leaf plum Prunus cerasifera is the second most urban landscaped tree in the city of Berkeley constituting 18 of all of those used for planting and it already constitutes 22 of all trees in the City of Berkeley Since the decision to use this tree in 1972 an estimated 1 800 P cerasifera trees have been planted in the city of Berkeley Chinese Elm Ulmus parvifolia the third species of tree most highly used in urban landscaping in the Berkeley area It constitutes 14 of all trees currently planted in Berkeley and 16 of those used for landscape planting p 3 Andrew Nguyen Benefit Cost Analysis of Urban Landscaping Trees 05 09 05 The economic investigations involved in this study
View Full Document
Unlocking...