Assessing Urban Forest Effects and Values: Douglas County, Kansas

An analysis of trees in Douglas County, Kansas, reveals that this area has about 14,164,000 trees with tree and shrub canopy that covers 25.2 percent of the county. The most common tree species are American elm, northern hackberry, eastern redcedar, Osage-orange, and honeylocust. Trees in Douglas County currently store about 1.7 million tons of carbon (6.4 million tons CO2) valued at $124 million. In addition, these trees remove about 82,000 tons of carbon per year (300,000 tons CO2 per year valued at $5.8 million per year) and about 3,870 tons of air pollution per year ($17.7 million per year). Douglas County's trees are estimated to reduce annual residential energy costs by $2.9 million per year. The compensatory value of the trees is estimated at $6.2 billion. Loss of the current tree cover in the Wakarusa River watershed in Douglas County would increase annual flow by an average of 2.6 percent (88.9 million ft3). Information on the structure and functions of the regional forest can be used to inform forest management programs and to integrate regional forests within plans to improve environmental quality in Douglas County.