City of Orlando, Florida municipal forest resource analysis

Abstract

With nearly 50 million tourists visiting each year, the City of Orlando takes great pride in maintaining its image as “The City Beautiful.” Park and street trees are an integral component of that identity, greening and softening downtown business corridors, making streets and residential areas attractive and walkable (Figure 1). Trees are a critical component of the city in general. Research indicates that healthy trees lessen impacts associated with the built environment by reducing stormwater runoff, energy consumption, and air pollutants. Trees improve urban life, making Orlando a more enjoyable place to live, work, and play, while mitigating the city’s environmental impact. Over the past century, Orlando residents and the City have been developing their urban forest on public and private properties. This report evaluates Orlando’s public street trees only. The primary question that this study asks is whether the accrued benefits from Orlando’s trees justify the annual expenditures?

Citation

Peper, P.J.; McPherson; E.G.; Simpson, J.R.; Xiao, Q. 2009. City of Orlando, Florida municipal forest resource analysis. Davis, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 65 p.