Environmental Services
The Waite Arboretum
The Waite Arboretum established in 1928 occupies 27 hectares on land bequeathed to the University of Adelaide by
pastoralist and businessman Peter Waite. It comprises 2,500 specimens from around the world growing on an average
rainfall of 618 mm without supplementary watering after establishment.
Some of the benefits trees provide
Shade & solar UV protection
Air pollutants removal
Urban heat island effect reduction
Storm water run-off reduction
Carbon sequestration and storage
Oxygen production
Habitat & Biodiversity
Health & wellbeing
Importance of Green Infrastructure
Urban forest such as the Waite Arboretum and other green infrastructures such as parks, gardens, street trees,
playing fields, wetlands, green walls and rooftop planting play a critical role in maintaining healthy urban environments and are essential assets to keep our cities liveable.
Habitat & Biodiversity
Green spaces in cities increase biodiversity. The Waite Arboretum is home of a rich variety of
native mammals, frogs, reptiles, birds, bees & wasps, ants, spiders, beetles and other insects.
Mature trees, especially eucalypts, provide nesting hollows for birds and possums and roosting places for bats.
Tawny Frogmouth. Photo: Jennifer Gardner
Rainbow Lorikeet. Photo: Jeff Ross
Black Duck & ducklings and Maned Duck. Photo: Jennifer Gardner
Caper White Butterfly. Photo: Jennifer Gardner
Fiddler Beetle. Photo: Erica Boyle
Spotted Grass Frog. Photo: Jennifer Gardner
Koala. Photo: Jennifer Gardner, Erica Boyle
Common Ringtail Possum. Photo: Peter Bird
Hollows provide habitat for many native animals. It can take 80 years for natural hollows to develop in Australian trees,
and so clearance of older and remnant vegetation has led to a missing piece of habitat.
Birds as rosellas, lorikeets, pardalotes and kookaburras are just a few of the native birds that rely on hollows for breeding.
How i-Tree Eco works
i-Tree Eco is a state-of-the-art, peer reviewed software suite that provides urban and rural forestry
analysis and benefits assessment tools. The software was developed by USDA Forest Service and numerous
co-operators, in the public domain and is freely accessible. The i-Tree Eco software uses standardized
field data, pre-processed local hourly meteorological & air pollution concentration data and taxonomic
classification to calculate the ecosystem benefits trees provide. Field data on 1,255 specimens representing
601 species and 50% of the Waite Arboretum collection was surveyed and analyzed using i-Tree Eco.
The Report at a Glance
The structural value of the surveyed trees was calculated to be A$13 million. Additional structural and functional values of the surveyed trees were:
Air pollution removal (O3, CO, NO2, SO2 and particulate matter < 2.5microns): 1.2 tonnes / year (A$ 4,840 / year) equivalent to annual emissions from 160 vehicles
Carbon storage: 1,167 tonnes (A$ 26,600) equivalent to annual carbon emissions from 373 family houses
Avoided run-off: >1,072 cubic metres / year
Carbon sequestration: 34.3 tonnes / year
The Waite Arboretum app can be downloaded free to iPhone, iPad, Android phones and used as a guide.
How valuable are our trees?
Sugar Gum - Eucalyptus cladocalyx #1201J
Height:
34 m
DBH:
202 cm
Canopy area:
718 m2
Age:
140 years
Carbon stored:
6.2 tonne
Total Pollution removed:
5.3 kg/yr
Structural Value:
A$ 56,891
Australian Teak - Flindersia australis #184
Height:
16 m
DBH:
65 cm
Canopy area:
196 m2
Age:
86 years
Carbon stored:
1.2 tonne
Total Pollution removed:
1.5 kg/yr
Structural Value:
A$ 12,147
Stone Pine - Pinus pinea #304
Height:
16 m
DBH:
133 cm
Canopy area:
710 m2
Age:
49 years
Carbon stored:
2.4 tonne
Total Pollution removed:
2.6 kg/yr
Structural Value:
A$ 43,727
