A Study on Renewal Cycle of Street Trees Based on Life Cycle Cost and Total Benefit

Abstract

In this study, we set 30 and 50 years as renewal periods for five representative street tree species (Ginkgo biloba, Cinnamomum camphora, Cerasus yedoensis 'Somei-yoshino', Zelkova serrata, and Cornus florida), and calculated life cycle costs (LCC) and monetary values of multifaceted functions (total benefits) during 100 years based on growth forecasts. Then, we examined the optimal renewal method of street trees based on cost-effectiveness. The highest cost-benefit ratio was 0.80 of the 50 years-renewal Z. serrata. And cost-benefit ratios of the 50 years-renewal trees were higher than those of the 30 years-renewal trees at all tree species. Therefore, we suggest as the optimal renewal method setting longer renewal periods and growing the trees to larger sizes if there is a sufficient planting space.