Grantee Research Project Results
Environmental and Economic Implications of Landscaping Policies in the Research Triangle Region of North Carolina
EPA Grant Number: U915402Title: Environmental and Economic Implications of Landscaping Policies in the Research Triangle Region of North Carolina
Investigators: Lovett, Crystal Grace
Institution: Duke University
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: August 1, 1998 through August 1, 1999
Project Amount: $29,750
RFA: STAR Graduate Fellowships (1998) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Fellowship - Forestry , Biology/Life Sciences , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Academic Fellowships
Objective:
The objectives of this research project are to: (1) demonstrate how trees provide environmental and, by extrapolation, economic benefits through stormwater runoff reduction, air pollution prevention, carbon sequestration, and energy savings; and (2) determine how development plans and government policies can be created to capture these benefits.
Approach:
CITYgreen is an interactive program developed by American Forests for mapping urban ecology and measuring the economic benefits of trees, soils, and other natural resources. It utilizes ArcView 3.0 for Windows Geographic Information Systems software with aerial photography and satellite imagery for local and regional analysis. Trees, buildings, impervious surfaces, and grasslands are digitized from scanned images of selected sites in Raleigh, Durham, and Cary, North Carolina. The program calculates the volume and dollar amount of savings for sites meeting the minimum landscaping requirements of their respective municipalities. These calculations then are compared either to a site within a resource management area or to a model of the same site reflecting proposed ordinance changes. The differences suggest that there are substantial savings to be realized with improved policies concerning tree cover.
From the visual and statistical analysis from CITYgreen and knowledge of the policies and regulations regarding land use, options for forest conservation management will be created. The analysis findings will be a public policy tool to demonstrate to local decisionmakers the tangible and quantifiable values of their urban and suburban forest.
Supplemental Keywords:
fellowship, trees, environmental benefits, economic benefits, runoff, air pollution, carbon sequestration, urban ecology, aerial photography, satellite imagery, tree cover, CITYgreen, forest conservation management, forest, stormwater runoff, landscaping, American Forests., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Geographic Area, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Ecology, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Ecosystem Protection, State, Forestry, Ecological Effects - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Ecology and Ecosystems, Urban and Regional Planning, Ecological Indicators, East Coast, ecological effects, CITYgreenTM, forest conservation management options, zoning ordinances, Virginia (VA), tree ordinances, suburban sprawl, forest land cover, Interstate 95 cooridor (Northern Virginia), ecosystem, forests, changes in forest cover, tree canopy, forest conservationProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.