Trees provide more than just beauty or a source of wood products. Rather, trees provide an assortment of economic, environmental, psychological and social benefits to humans. Energy savings are one such highly valued benefit or service urban trees provide. Did you know that just 17% shade on a building from trees for example can reduce power bills by $10/ month or that urban trees can lower surrounding temperatures by as much as 20° F? Alternatively, trees can reduce winter heating …
How does what I do in my yard, on my land and in my garden affect what plants invade our forests and grasslands? What has happened on the land where you live (its history of use), and what you plant now, can have a long-lasting impact. Land use legacies appear to play a large role in the patterns of invasive plants and the impacts they may have. The progression of time shows how well a plant manages to spread, and …
It is possible to plant a tree that within a few years will provide energy conservation benefits. The length of time between planting and energy conservation savings is a function of the following factors:
Some fast-growing tree species, under ideal growing conditions, may begin providing energy benefits …
An invasive species is a nonnative species (in any reproductive stage, including seed, egg, spore, or other propagule) whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health. These species grow and reproduce rapidly, causing major disturbance to the areas in which they are present.
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, bugwood.org
The majority of nonnative species, including most of our sources of food and fiber, are not harmful, and many are highly beneficial. …
