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Abstract
An analysis of the urban forest in Portland, Oregon, revealed that this area had an estimated 7.7 million live trees (≥ 1.0 inch in diameter) or 2.7 million live trees (≥ 5.0 inches in diameter) across public and private lands. The most common tree species (≥ 5.0 inches in diameter) were bigleaf maple, Douglas-fir, northern white-cedar, western redcedar, and red alder. Trees in Portland were estimated to store about 1.6 million tons of carbon (equivalent to 5.9 million tons of carbon dioxide [CO
2]) valued at $267.3 million. In addition, these trees were estimated to remove about 50,000 tons of carbon per year (equivalent to 187,170 tons of CO
2 per year, valued at $8.6 million per year; roughly equivalent to the annual emissions associated with 36,928 passenger vehicles or energy usage by 30,843 homes per year [Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, U.S. EPA 2020]), and about 455 tons of air pollution per year (valued at $9.2 million per year). Portland’s urban forest was estimated to reduce the annual energy costs of residential buildings by $5.1 million per year. The overall compensatory value of the urban forest was estimated at $5.8 billion. Compensatory value describes the replacement value of trees as a structural asset, which tends to increase with tree size and health. The information presented in this report may be used to support urban forest management programs and inform policy and planning to improve environmental quality and human health in Portland. The analyses also provide a basis for monitoring changes in the urban forest over time.
Citation
Owen, Suzanne M.; Baer, Kathryn C.; Desai, Nikhilesh; Hoehn, Robert E., III; Herrick, Christina; Jennings, Katie; Young, Alexander R.; Schanning, Sjana. 2025. Portland, Oregon's urban forest, 2018. Resource Bulletin NRS-136. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 105 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-RB-136.
