| dc.description.abstract | Urban street trees provide many ecosystem services, environmental and
economic benefits for residents, communities, cities, and municipalities. The economic
benefits of trees are not easily quantified as they have no market value. Since 2011, the
bronze birch borer, a specialist wood-boring beetle, has been a pest of birch trees in
northern Ontario. A street tree inventory of streets east of Vicker’s Park in Thunder Bay
was completed to determine the economic value and annual contributions of the birch
trees in this area. To determine the value of the trees, the basic method was used. To
calculate annual contributions the i-Tree MyTree benefits calculator was used. The cost
of removal and replacement were also determined. Using this data, and assuming all
trees would become infested and killed, an economic analysis was completed to
determine which of 100% treatment, partial treatment, or removal and replacement was
most economically feasible. None of the examined scenarios yielded positive results,
however, the most cost-effective solution was 100% treatment of the birch trees. | en_US |
