Inventory and Valuation of Shade Trees in Kingston, Pennsylvania using CityGreen Nina Sweppenheiser Kenneth M. Klemow Biology Department Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA

Forests have functions and values Reduce stormwater runoff Reduce pollution Sequester carbon dioxide Wildlife habitat

Urban areas often replace forest Impervious surface increases stormwater runoff More pollution in the air Poor habitat for wildlife Higher costs of heating and cooling

Many cities benefit from planting trees Reduce air pollution Ameliorate stormwater runoff Conserve energy Reduce heating and cooling

Commercial vs. Residential One might expect that population of trees along commercial street would be less dense and have smaller individuals than along residential street

Questions Posed Is there a difference in density between street tree populations on commercial and residential streets? Is there a difference in size between street tree populations on commercial and residential streets? Is there any difference in the economic value that the street trees provide?

Methods Study carried out in Kingston, PA Has well-established street tree program

Methods Trees examined along two streets: Market St. (Commercial) Atherton St. (Residential) Location-based parameters recorded: Street address Distance from reference point Latitude and longitude

Methods Size-based Parameters Diameter at breast height Tree height Canopy width and height to canopy Data analysis Histograms t-test

Methods Data entered into ArcView GIS Valuation assessment performed by CityGreen module on GIS

Results - Tree Density Market StreetAtherton Street South sideNorth sideWest sideEast side Number of trees per 1000’

Tree Height Market St Atherton St Mean33.6’41.9’ Variance Number of Trees 7759 df 112 P Value.001

Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) Market StAtherton St Mean Variance Number of Trees 7759 df 113 P Value.058 Data given in cm

Crown Area Market St. Atherton St. Mean Variance Number of Trees 7759 df 120 P Value.208 Data given in cm 3

Summary of Size Data ParameterCommercialResidential Density ** Height ** Diameter * Crown area--

CityGreen Valuation By using computer modeling, it is possible to determine economic value the trees provide We did a preliminary analysis using CityGreen for Market St. and Atherton St.

Air Pollution Value for Kingston Trees Market StAtherton St ParameterLbs Removed Dollar Value Lbs Removed Dollar Value Ozone46.96$ $80.04 Sulfur Dioxide 23.21$ $9.69 Nitrogen Dioxide 25.78$ $43.03 Particulate Matter 63.47$ $72.23 Carbon Monoxide 4.27$ $1.03 TOTAL163.69$ $209.93

Economic Benefit Summary Differences in Saving o Market St. was longer; more trees o Assumed commercial streets had higher impervious surface; trees valued more o Future use of better satellite images may provide a more accurate picture Market StAtherton St Annual Air Pollution Removal Savings $372.62$ Annual Stormwater Savings $5,801.78$1, Total Annual Savings $6,174.40$1,605.20

Conclusions As expected, residential trees were denser and taller Not expected was the lack of difference for DBH and canopy coverage Completely unexpected was the much higher value for the commercial trees

Future Work Sample additional residential and commercial streets to get better replication Incorporate species identifications Revisit CityGreen valuation to ensure accuracy

Acknowledgements Vincent Cotrone - PSU Extension Wilkes faculty: Dr. William Toothill Dr. Marleen Troy Elizabeth Roveda - former student Wilkes students Joseph Mahon Kyle Ungvarsky