Trees offer a host of ecosystem services that improve quality of life. This is particularly true in the urban environment, where they filter stormwater and contribute to energy savings, among other benefits. While these services are well-known, they are often difficult to conceptualize. Through this demonstration, the Urban Forest Management class (NRC 541) seeks to educate the campus community about the value of trees by creating visual representations of the ecosystem services they provide. Our displays highlight five quantifiable benefits, which include stormwater interception, energy savings, air quality improvement, carbon dioxide sequestration, and the removal of particulate matter from the environment. We have selected five trees, one to represent each of the services listed above, in high-traffic areas of campus and offer interpretive signage to accompany our quantification and display at these demonstration sites.

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What services to trees provide? Well the list is quite extensive. In our project, we chose to measure 5 aspects.

Stormwater Interception: The Pin Oak (Quercus palustris), located by the Life Science Labs, intercepts more than 3,800 gallons of rainfall in one year.

Energy Savings: The Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra), located by Whitmore, saves nearly $10 in energy usage and reduces use by almost 70 kilowatt hours.

Air Quality Improvement: The Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus), located by the Campus Pond, removes over 20 ounces of air pollutants every year.

Carbon Sequestration: The Norway Spruce, (Picea abies), located by the Durfee Conservatory, sequesters nearly 260 lbs of carbon dioxide each year.

Particulate Matter Removal: The Littleleaf Linden (Tilia cordata), located by the Student Union, removes almost 5 ounces of large particulate matter each year.