By Dan Buckler, DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist
Daniel.Buckler@wisconsin.gov or 608-445-4578

Trees work in mysterious ways, and, for some users, so does i-Tree. The suite of software, developed by the USDA Forest Service and Davey Tree Expert Company, can, among other things, calculate the societal benefits of trees. Below, I try to summarize and demystify some of these estimates of ecosystem services, a somewhat sterile term for some of the cool things trees do for society and the wider environment.

Because the benefits identified in i-Tree only scratch the surface of trees’ importance to one’s community, it could be problematic and limiting if estimates from i-Tree are solely relied on to justify the investment in tree preservation, maintenance or planting. Nonetheless, these estimates help tell the story of the good work trees do in our communities. Continue reading “A Hopefully Not-Too-Deep Look Into i-Tree Benefits” →