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Abstract
A 2019 analysis of the urban forest in Chicago, Illinois, reveals that this area has an estimated 4.7 million live trees across all ownerships. The most common tree species by number are common buckthorn, white mulberry, and Siberian elm. Trees in Chicago are estimated to store about 754,787 tons of carbon (2.8 million tons of carbon dioxide [CO2]) valued at $128.7 million. In addition, it is estimated that these trees annually remove about 77,000 tons of CO2 and 774 tons of air pollution. Chicago’s urban forest is estimated to reduce annual energy costs of residential buildings by $1.8 million. The overall compensatory value of the urban forest is estimated at $2.3 billion. Compensatory value describes the replacement value of trees as a structural asset, which tends to increase with trees’ size and health. The information presented in this report can be used to support urban forest management programs and to inform policy and planning to improve environmental quality and human health in Chicago. The analysis also provides a basis for monitoring changes in the urban forest over time.
Keywords
Urban FIA,
UFIA,
i-Tree,
iTree,
Illinois,
IL,
My City's Trees,
carbon,
city,
cities,
tree volume and biomass,
carbon sequestration,
Urban Forest Inventory and Analysis,
urban forest structure and health,
urban forest values,
ecosystem services
Citation
Schanning, Sjana L.; Herrick, Christina; Hoehn, Robert E., III; Jennings, Katie; Young, Alex. 2025. Chicago’s urban forest, 2019. Resource Bulletin NRS-135. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 91 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-RB-135.
