Health and urban trees – a breath of fresh air

By Katie Neis

When an economist starts talking about the benefits of trees to public life, it’s time to pay attention. Geoffrey Donovan of the U.S. Forest Service took on that challenge last month with a presentation on his study “The Effect of Urban Trees on Public Health” for the Forest Ecology & Management Seminar Series.

As the emerald ash borer moves west across the United States, huge swaths of ash trees are dying. How much does this matter to those in the communities?

In wealthier counties it matters a lot. Donovan studied counties in Midwestern states and found that wealthier counties generally have a higher canopy cover, and thus are losing more trees to the emerald ash borer. People in these counties have cardiovascular and respiratory mortality at higher rates the longer the ash borer infestation had progressed.

The people in poorer counties haven’t been as affected because they are not losing as many trees. Canopy cover in poorer counties has traditionally been less than that of wealthier counties.

A good study raises at least as many questions as it answers. Future social justice issues, policy implications, and the unstoppable progression of the emerald ash borer are fascinating issues that involve trees and public health. They also highlight the important work that Friends of Trees and other tree-planting organizations are doing.

–Neis is Neighborhood Trees Coordinator, City of Vancouver Urban Forestry.