What is the Amenity Value of Trees?
Amenity is defined as; a useful or desirable feature…. from the Latin amoenus ‘pleasant’, by the Oxford Online Dictionary.
Some of these benefits are tangible and can be readily appreciated by the 5 senses others are intangible but nevertheless very real. Some of these benefits are outlined below.
Climate Control
• Trees absorb carbon dioxide, act as carbon sinks and produce oxygen.
• They absorb and filter dust and pollutant gases including carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide.
• They act as acoustic barriers reducing noise levels.
• They provide shade from the summer sun and shelter from the winter rain.
Economics
• The presence of trees can increase the value of property by 5% -18%.
• The protection afforded by trees reduces the energy required to heat buildings in the winter and cool them in the summer and so reduces the consumption of fossil fuels.
• Trees provide employment from planting and maintenance to harvesting the many products we all enjoy regularly.
Social
• Trees give a sense of history, of continuity, of relaxation, of well being and reduce stress levels.
• They provide a social focal point and place of meeting.
• Trees provide recreation and education.
• They enrich the senses through sight and sound, taste, touch and smell.
Environment
• Trees, alive or dead, are an essential habitat for insects, birds, mammals, fungi and other plants.
• They visually soften an otherwise harsh urban environment.
• Tree canopies slow up rainfall and the root systems absorb moisture and so help to reduce flash flooding.
• They mark the changing of the seasons with spring flowers, summer foliage, autumn fruit and bare winter branches.