Urban Forests on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi
Urban Canopy Cover
Urban Heat Index
Tree Canopy
The most current Urban Tree Canopy Assessment on Oʻahu shows a decline of both the number of trees and their canopy cover. In the face of a changing climate and hotter temperatures, it is imperative to maintain and enhance our community tree canopy. The City is committed to increasing the urban tree canopy to 35% by 2035. The maps above were generated by the Hawaiʻi Tree Canopy Viewer.
Click below to see the Oʻahu community heat map that shows that the more urbanized and developed areas correlate with higher temperatures than their inland counterparts. |
As our urban population grows, urban forests are more important than ever -- they are the trees outside our front doors and come in many different shapes and sizes. They include urban parks, street trees, landscaped boulevards, gardens, river and coastal promenades, greenways, river corridors, wetlands, nature preserves, shelter belts of trees, and working trees at former industrial sites. They are dynamic ecosystems that provide critical benefits to people and wildlife. (Source: US Department of Agriculture Forest Service)
A tree and its canopy are a driving force behind numerous environmental, social, and economic benefits that we rely on every day. On average, the bigger the tree canopy, the bigger the benefits. Trees sequester carbon in their trunks, remove particulate matter from the air, clean stormwater run-off by removing harmful chemicals, cool ambient air by up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit on hot days, shelter wildlife, and they create a sense of place. Research also shows that communities that plant trees together grow together; improving social ties and trust among neighbors and communities. (Source: Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program) 
Trees help lower and stabilize temperatures around communities by shading impervious surfaces with shade and absorbing heat generated by those surfaces, nearby buildings, and vehicles. Trees planted in urban settings minimize what is called the urban heat island effect. Without as many trees and green cover, the impervious surfaces of our human-made structures absorb sunlight and convert it into heat energy. This heat energy increases the ambient temperatures in city centers, where the effects have been measured 5 to 9 degrees higher than in the surrounding countryside. (Source: City and County of Honolulu)
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