A comparison of urban tree populations in four UK towns and cities
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
Trees are a valuable asset to cities and towns, providing numerous services that sustain and support human life.
They store carbon, filter airborne pollutants and intercept rainwater. The structure of urban tree populations
and how resilient urban trees are to pests, diseases and changes in climate are relatively unknown. Surveys of
urban trees using i-Tree Eco were conducted in Torbay, Wrexham, Glasgow and Edinburgh between 2010 and
2013 to assess the ecosystem services provided by urban tree populations. Data from these surveys can be
used to analyse tree population structures and to make an assessment of the robustness of tree communities
now and in the future.
There were similarities between tree populations in Wrexham and Edinburgh that may have been influenced by
planting practices or similarities in land use types, rather than climate. Trees were most commonly encountered
in parks and in residential areas. The populations of these land use types were also the most diverse. Each study
area had at least two species that comprised more than 10% of the population, but no genus exceeded 20% and
no family 30%. Torbay possessed the highest proportion of drought resistant species, whilst Glasgow, at risk
from flooding, possessed very few waterlogging tolerant species.
If urban trees are to survive the future predicted changes in climate, consideration must be given to designing
planting on a landscape-wide basis, taking into account species and site-specific properties.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Trees, people and the built environment II |
Subtitle of host publication | conference proceedings |
Editors | Mark Johnston, Glenn Percival |
Place of Publication | Edinburgh |
Publisher | Institute of Chartered Foresters |
Pages | 181-195 |
ISBN (Print) | 978-0-907284-08-6 |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Event | Trees, People and the Built Environment II - UK, Birmingham, United Kingdom Duration: 2 Apr 2014 → 3 Apr 2014 |
Conference
Conference | Trees, People and the Built Environment II |
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Country | United Kingdom |
City | Birmingham |
Period | 2/04/14 → 3/04/14 |
Related information
Outputs
Valuing Wrexham's urban forest: assessing the ecosystem services of Wrexham's urban trees: a technical report
Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
Valuing urban trees in Glasgow: assessing the ecosystem services of Glasgow's urban forest: a technical report
Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
ID: 2947971