Ecosystem Analysis Report
Argyle’s urban forest plays a crucial role in the livability and sustainability of the city. The city’s trees impact everything from economic development to the overall health and livelihood of the people that live, work, and play in Argyle every day.
Understanding an urban forests structure, function, and value can promote management decisions that will improve human health and environmental quality. An assessment of the vegetation structure, function, and value of the Town of Argyle urban forest was conducted between October 2018 and February 2019. Data from 50 field plots located throughout the Town of Argyle were analyzed using the i-Tree Eco model developed by the U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station.
The Argyle urban forest provides multiple benefits to the residents of the city and creates a sense of community. An increase in the understanding of these benefits and their associated economic values can improve both local planning and management and ultimately improve the overall condition or quality of the forest leading to increased benefits.
Key Findings
The key findings for the 2019 Town of Argyle Urban Forest Resource Assessment are below. This data represents a snapshot of both the structural and functional characteristics and values of the city’s urban trees. They are provided to aid in the planning and management of this increasingly important resource. The quantification of the benefits of Argyle’s urban forest should serve as a reliable advocacy tool to help educate community leaders and the public about the importance of investing in professional planning and management for Argyle’s trees.
Argyle’s 627,500 trees have a structural value of $484 million
Argyle’s tree canopy cover is 31.3 %
Argyle’s trees provide the following in annual average environmental services:
– Pollution Removal: 57.11/year ( $22.7 thousand/year)
– Carbon Storage: 91.88 thousand tons ( $835 million)
– Carbon Sequestration: 4.895 thousand tons ( $835 thousand/year)
– Avoided Runoff: 3.818 million cubic feet/year ( $255 thousand/year)
627,500 trees provide 10.55 thousand tons of Oxygen per year to Argyle
60.2% of Argyle’s trees are less than 6” ( 15.2 cm ) in diameter
Argyle’s trees provide a building energy savings of $7,460/year
Argyle’s most common tree species are Post Oak, Cedar Elm, and Black locust.