Greenleaf Urban Tree and Landscape Products has published a 12 page guide to the benefits of urban trees. The guide has been created to help educate policy and decision makers on the numerous and often remarkable ways in which trees can improve urban environments, as well as providing useful ammunition for existing advocates of urban tree planting.
The guide is broken up into two main sections. The first of these gives a concise overview of the benefits that urban trees create, considering aspects such as carbon reduction, air quality, physical and mental health, community cohesion and the all important economic factors.
The second section looks at the difficulties that trees face in urban environments, discussing basic principles for the design of tree pits that can help to significantly reduce urban tree mortality rates and allow trees to thrive in challenging surroundings.
A spokesman for Greenleaf said: “Urban forests have a vital role to play in the creation of sustainable futures for our towns and cities. Campaigns such as the Mayor of London’s ‘Street Trees’ and the government’s ‘Big Tree Plant’ are helping to publicise the importance of urban tree planting, and we hope that our guide will also help to raise awareness with regard to the benefits of maintaining and expanding our urban tree populations.
“Of equal importance, the section on tree pit design contains essential information for anyone involved with urban tree planting. Increasing quantities of public and charitable funds are being spent on urban tree planting, but the sad truth is that up to 50% of urban trees die within two years of planting. The vast majority of these mortalities are preventable, and can be avoided by the development of tree pit designs which are appropriate for the species and location.
“It is true that creating proper tree pits involves a larger initial investment than simply planting direct into the ground, but the resulting healthy, mature trees that deliver a host of benefits for their local communities mean that this investment is well justified.”
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A digital version of the guide can be downloaded at www.greenleaftrees.co.uk