Trees and Woodland Strategy

Bexley's strategic approach to tree management and new tree planting

The need for Trees

2.1 Benefits

Trees are important to us for many reasons. However, we are not always aware of all the benefits that trees provide for us, or we take them for granted. Probably the greatest threat to our trees is lack of interest.

2.1.1 Life

Trees are normally the largest living organism in an ecosystem and have many complex and essential links with other elements of the local wildlife such as birds, insects, fungi and bats. Trees grow, as all plants, utilising energy derived by a process known as photosynthesis. Here a tree's roots absorb water from the soil which is transported to its leaves, where carbon dioxide is absorbed through pores. In the leaf cells, water and carbon dioxide are combined, using energy from the sun, to produce oxygen and substances enabling the tree to grow. Thereby trees help to reduce the volume of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is the primary cause of the greenhouse effect, or global warming, that contributes to adverse climatic change.

2.1.2 Environmental

Vitally important to people's health and well-being, trees are an environmental regulator. They can grow to become large parasols to provide shade from the sun and shelter from the wind and rain. They help to control temperature, wind speed, humidity, soil erosion and flooding, reduce noise, and regulate gases, dirt and dust and to reduce pollution.

2.1.3 Nature Conservation

Trees can help provide habitats for wildlife and bring nature into the heart of our towns. Oak trees support up to 500 species of insects and invertebrate species, and more fungi are associated with oak than any other native tree. Trees are fundamental in achieving objectives for nature conservation which assists in conserving and enhancing biodiversity, one of the key elements of stewardship in Local Agenda 21.

2.1.4 Recreation

Trees provide an environment conducive to recreation, through parks, picnic sites, green chain walks and cycle routes. They also provide leisure opportunities through initiatives such as community tree planting, the Adopt-a-Tree scheme and as tree wardens.

2.1.5 Education

For many children and adults, trees are becoming increasingly more important as an outdoor educational resource in the study of a wide variety of living organisms and processes. Activities such as tree-planting enable local communities to become custodians of the environment, empowering them with the responsibility to care for trees.

2.1.6 Landscape

Probably the most obvious benefit for many is that trees provide amenity and aesthetic value. They help to soften the built environment or screen unwanted views; they can complement historic buildings, provide landscape features such as avenues, vistas and focal points; they remind us of the seasons and provide colour and interest all year round; above all they can reinforce local character, distinctiveness and identity of an area, and provide a 'sense of place'. Mature trees provide a direct link with the past: the history of the landscape is revealed by their age and location. Some trees are of individual historical significance; commemorating some past event or even being named after a person or past use, e.g. the Charter Oak.

2.1.7 Economics

Trees are a renewable resource. As they are organic, most parts of a tree can be recycled or utilised. For example, leaves can be collected and composted; branches and tree prunings can be shredded to produce wood chips for footpaths or as a mulch; chemicals in the bark are used as dyes; small tree stems or heavier branches can often be used as fencing posts or tree stakes; larger tree trunks can be sold as timber for pulpwood or home produced charcoal, thereby reducing our requirements for timber from tropical or non-sustainable sources. Trees can also help to provide an environment that is conducive to economic growth and in attracting investment. Very often the presence of trees can actually enhance the value of land and property.

2.1.8 Difficulties and Nuisance

Quite often in towns and urban areas, space is limited and people live in close proximity to trees. Consequently trees can be a source of nuisance and neighbour disputes. Common problems relate to overhanging branches, loss of light, litter from leaves, fruits or seeds, problems from birds fouling, honeydew deposits from aphids or brown tail moth caterpillars. Very often these problems are seasonal, lasting only a short time, and are a small inconvenience compared to the enormous benefits that trees provide. In some instances, careful pruning may help, but in the long term, attention should be paid to wise species selection and planting, and encouraging greater awareness and education of the many benefits trees provide, and solutions to any problems. For instance leaf litter can be used for home composting, and where a tree casts a shadow it is possible to grow plants that not only tolerate shade, but thrive in it.

2.1.9 Trees and Buildings

There has, in recent years, been a greater awareness of the damage that trees can cause to buildings and structures. Consequently many home owners are concerned about tree roots and foundation damage. Normally, this type of damage occurs where the soil type is shrinkable, usually clay, which is susceptible to soil movement from moisture extraction. Fortunately, in Bexley Borough, although pockets of clay do exist, the majority of soils are of a non-shrinkable nature. It should also be noted that where buildings are damaged, trees are rarely the sole cause. Much of the concern surrounding trees and building damage is unsubstantiated and claims against the Council for tree root damage remain low, especially in view of the huge number of trees under its care. However, there is clearly a case for providing clear, concise and simple information on this subject and for promoting appropriate research where possible.