Save (or Kill?) the Trees

I know we're all supposed to save the trees because they are precious in the urban environment and they will help save us and the planet.  But not every tree is as valuable as every other and some trees actually have a negative affect on things.

In Sydney there's the notorious Camphor Laurel whose roots can spread many metres and destroy everything in their path (and most things above them too).  I'm sure if you have one growing in or next to your place you'd probably stop loving trees too. 

So, views are polarized with many people and councils want to preserve trees at all costs and property owners wanting them gone for practical and economic reasons.  But, often no-one knows their true cost and/or value.

Well, in South Devon they've identified a similar problem with the Leyland Cypress and are doing something about measuring the costs and benefits.  Using open source software developed by the US Forest Service, the South Devon Council is calculating the value of its urban forest – not just the notorious suburban cypress, but grander trees, too.

There’s very little assessment done of the financial burden caused by trees and this study will collect data on the way trees save energy, store and sequester carbon (and at what rate), and reduce pollution through filtration.  The ‘structural value’ of the trees, including the cost of replacement will also be assessed.

In the USA, i-Tree Eco has already made its mark. A study valuing the ecosystem services of New York’s trees at $122 million a year prompted Mayor Bloomberg to back the planting of one million trees over a ten-year period.

Putting a price on natural resources may go against the grain for naturalists and aesthetes, but it represent a ‘bottom line’ which holds sway for communities, businesses and policymakers alike.

You can read more about the South Devon Council’s initiative here.

See you under a tree soon – either enjoying the shade or cutting it down.

Francesco ...