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| Figure 1. Two homes are shown. Note the difference in the amount of tree canopy cover on the lot. Which one would you rather have for your home? | |
Healthy, vigorously growing trees increase dramatically the personal and economic value of homes in a variety of ways (Table 1). In most instances, potential homeowners are willing to pay 10 to 30 percent more for wooded lots than for identical lots without trees in the same subdivision. Perhaps more importantly, trees add immeasurably to our quality of life. Who would not rather rest in the shade and forget the "troubles of the day" at the more heavily treed property in Figure 1.
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| Figure 1. Two homes are shown. Note the difference in the amount of tree canopy cover on the lot. Which one would you rather have for your home? | |
| Table 1. Benefits of Trees Around Homes. |
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Less Fading of House Paint Reduced Home Heating Costs Reduced Home Air-Conditioning Costs Longer House Roof Life Increased Wildlife Habitat Increased Aesthetic Appeal Increased Property Value Reduced Time for Sale Enhanced Feeling of Self-Worth Increased Personal Comfort Edible Fruits and Nuts Increased Tax Valuations Reduced Crime Enhanced Sense of Community Reduced Soil Erosion Decreased Runoff Following Rain |
Too often, however, dreams of a well-treed yard or a secluded, wooded home are dashed when many trees on the lot die within a few years of construction. Too often, trees and shrubs planted following construction do not grow well or even die within a few years of planting. Perhaps the ultimate disappointment was experienced by a property owner who bought a densely wooded lot and designed a house to fit around the trees. Unfortunately, the trees died because they were ignored during planning and construction. Not only did the homeowner end up with a rather unusual-looking serpentine home on an untreed lot, but he also had to bear the enormous cost of removing the dead trees with cranes and cables since they were over the new home.
Healthy, thriving trees growing on a home site before construction are usually there because they are adapted to the existing environmental conditions. Construction and the development of community services such as roads, sidewalks, and sewers, along with the development of adjacent properties, often dramatically alter a tree's environment. Trees, unlike animals, cannot move. If changes occur in their environment during construction, trees must adapt to those changes - or die. If the trees are to survive, construction activities must be modified, and the trees and their environment must be protected.
While planning construction, it is also important to retain those trees and tree species that will have the best chance of thriving. An unadaptable sugar maple, growing in an area where 12 inches of soil is to be spread over its roots, would be a poor choice for retention. Similarly, species selected for planting after construction must be adapted to the post-construction site conditions. Post-construction site conditions may be quite different from those existing prior to construction. Tree species very different from those originally on the lot may be better suited to the new conditions.
The purposes of this bulletin are to identify ways to minimize the impact of construction activities on trees and their environments and to provide a rationale for selecting trees to be retained during, or planted following, construction. To accomplish this, it is first necessary to understand the trees' environment and how that environment can be altered by home or neighborhood construction.