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Trees and the Environment

• Trees renew our air supply by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.
• The amount of oxygen produced by an acre of trees per year equals the amount consumed by 18 people annually. One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year.
• One acre of trees removes up to 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide each year.
• Shade trees can make buildings up to 20 degrees cooler in the summer.
• Trees lower air temperature by evaporating water in their leaves.
• Tree roots stabilize soil and prevent erosion.
• Trees improve water quality by slowing and filtering rain water, as well as protecting aquifers and watersheds.
• The cottonwood tree seed is the seed that stays in flight the longest. The tiny seed is surrounded by ultra-light, white fluff hairs that can carry it on the air for several days.

	News
	Warning: Check Tree-care Credentials Several autumn fatalities linked to dangerous tree care practices are prompting a coalition of arborists and urban foresters to urge contractors (and others) to hire only certified tree-care professionals. MORE >> Best Trees For The Street Scientist John Hammond of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific research agency, has announced the findings of a four-year project to determine the best trees to use in urban spaces. MORE >> Bradford Pears Not Kind to Cities This tree species has weak branch connections and limbs are prone to falling down. MORE >> Selling Houses By the Yard Worried home owners hope landscaping adds value- from the Wall Street Journal MORE >> 2007 Tree of the Year Baldcypress named tree of the year by Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA) MORE >> 17-year Cicadas Threaten Midwest The 17-year cicada (Magicicada septendecim) wreaked havoc across the Midwest in 1990. Now landscaping experts worry about that generation’s offspring descending like a plague this spring. MORE >> NADF Hardiness Zone Map Find out the right tree to plant where you live MORE >>

"The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now."

	Resources
	Benefits of Trees Brochure Available through the ISA Web store There's Money in Your Trees How much are your trees worth? Most likely more than you think. MORE >>