58 Kellogg et al.: Tree Preservation in a Weak Land Development Market Region the value of the real estate (Laverne and Winson- Geideman 2003). A study conducted in Athens, Georgia, U.S., found that the presence of land- scape trees contributed approximately 3.5% to 4.5% to the selling price. Researchers found that intermediate- to large-sized landscape trees con- tributed more than smaller trees regardless of spe- cies (Anderson and Cordell 1988). A more recent study conducted in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, identified 31 attributes of trees and the surround- ing landscape that were used as variables within a hedonic model to test the strength of their influ- ence on real estate selling price. The findings sug- gested that quality landscaping that includes trees, shrubs, turf, or other landscape plants contribute favorably to residential property selling price, pro- viding tree cover was not too dense (Des Rosiers et al. 2002). The current study focuses on the pres- ervation of existing tree canopy and/or mature trees, which could make planting efforts more cost effective (McPherson et al. 2006; Young 2011). In terms of tree canopy, and closer to the study area, a study in Cincinnati, Ohio, consid- ered percent tree canopy as it relates to residen- tial property values. Using the hedonic method of analysis, researchers found that a one percent increase in tree canopy cover led to an increase of USD $780 in property value. Considering the mean tree canopy cover of 25.8%, this study sug- gests that the average value of tree canopy equals 10.7% of the sale price of a home (Dimke et al. 2013). Using a hedonic regression model for considering changes to tree and shrub cover, while adding or subtracting turf, Escobedo et al. (2015) reported an average property value increase of $1,586 per added tree, while a loss in value occurs as the percentage of maintained turf increases, in four Florida, U.S., communi- ties. Des Rosiers et al. (2002) found that if, how- ever, a higher percent canopy cover was visible from the property than exists on the property itself, the effect on property value is negative. Another way of considering the value of trees to residential property is to elicit the views of home- owners on what they find to be favorable and unfa- vorable about landscape trees. A study in State College, Pennsylvania, U.S. (Gorman 2004) found that surveyed homeowners reported increased property value among several positive features ©2017 International Society of Arboriculture of landscape trees. Thirty-six percent of respon- dents stated a willingness to contribute money toward the establishment and maintenance of street trees, although the report does not indicate the dollar amount that residents would willingly contribute. Bowman et al. (2009) also surveyed homeowners in Iowa, and found that respondents were willing to pay for additional open space fea- tures. A concern with willingness-to-pay studies are that they do not actually measure behavior. MATERIALS AND METHODS Research Questions The research questions focused on determin- ing the economic value associated with tree preservation, not the addition of landscape trees, on newly developed forested or farm- land properties, expressed in terms of house sale price. The study makes a contribution to the literature in this particular aspect of tree value. Researchers sought to understand wheth- er housing sale price had been influenced by tree canopy and the presence of mature trees measured quantitatively. More specifically: 1. What is the influence of preserved trees on home sale prices on a given parcel? 2. What are the challenges to tree preserva- tion, and what are developer's perceptions of the market regarding mature trees and canopy? 3. What are the perceptions of real estate pro- fessionals (as a proxy for homebuyers) in the region about mature trees and canopy? Research Design The research design combined quantitative and qualitative methods to gather and analyze use- ful information in an Ohio context. The quanti- tative aspect used data obtained through aerial imagery of tree canopy, Google Earth™ mapping imagery to identify residential developments, and existing databases of auditors’ sale price and home characteristics. The advantage of us- ing Google Earth imagery for determining tree canopy cover is the relatively current nature of the images, the leaf-on seasonal coverage, and the cost (free). The use of Google Earth imag-
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