The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of urban vegetation on air quality, particularly ozone, in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.
Urban trees affect ozone concentrations in various interactive ways.
This study will combine both positive and negative tree attributes on ozone formation to quantify the overall net effect of urban trees on ozone levels in Chicago. To date, the cumulative effect of trees on ozone has not been assessed. Results of this study will be used to aid in developing EPA directionally sound programs using urban trees as part of State Implementation Plans. This computer program is designed to calculate, in many instances on an hourly basis, various urban forest effects based on standard inputs of field data, surface cover data, EPA pollution data, NOAA weather data. Model will have components that will yield city specific data on urban vegetation effects on pollution removal and air-quality improvement, carbon storage and sequestration, volatile organic compound emissions, building energy effects and consequent effect on power plant emissions, pollutant emissions due to vegetation management and maintenance, transpiration and air temperature effects, and potential effects of gypsy moth infestations.