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Ecosystem services Urban trees and greenspaces

Summary

i-Tree is a state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed software suite from the USDA Forest Service that provides urban forestry analysis and benefits assessment tools. The i-Tree Tools help communities of all sizes to strengthen their urban forest management and advocacy efforts by quantifying the structure of community trees and the environmental services that trees provide.

By understanding the local, tangible ecosystem services that trees provide, i-Tree users can link urban forest management activities with environmental quality and community livability. i-Tree provides baseline data that can be used to demonstrate value and set priorities for more effective decision-making.

Status

This project is ongoing.

Research objectives

Forest Research is:

  • Working with partners to raise awareness of the i-Tree suite of tools and see more of the tools adapted for use in the UK
  • Conducting i-Tree Eco studies, with partners, to gather and share information about the value of the UK’s urban trees
  • Undertaking research on urban trees to strengthen i-Tree science for the UK climate

Contact

Kieron Doick

 

Forestry Commission policy

Forestry Commission policy

Climate change represents a significant threat to urban infrastructure, environmental quality and the health of city dwellers. Green infrastructure is itself at risk through greater extremes in temperature fluctuation, consequent flourishing of tree pests and diseases, drought and perceived increased risk of subsidence leading to tree removal.

There is no clear system for determining the biophysical interactions, benefits, or managing potential trade-offs within a risk-benefit context, so as to optimally support the protection and sustainable regeneration of UK towns and cities. The Urban Trees and Greenspace in a Changing Climate Programme intends to develop such a system through consolidating and building upon existing work to provide the evidence base for urban trees, definition and communication of best practice guidance, and robust assessment, evaluation and dissemination tools so that the risks and benefits of urban tree placement can be more fully assessed by society, policy makers and planners.

The Programme also maintains the centre of excellence which FR has developed over several decades on land regeneration practices to establish and maintain urban greenspaces on former brownfield and contaminated sites.

Related resources

Arboricultural Association

Treeconomics

Funding & partners
  • forestry commissionForestry Commission
i-Tree Eco
In this section
i-Tree Eco

Related content

Research

Urban trees and greenspace in a changing climate

Research to understand the contribution that urban trees make with respect to: the resilience of current and planned urban tree stocks to climate change, their role in regulating temperatures, and water management in urban areas

Status current

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i-Tree Eco

Bringing a fully functioning i-Tree Eco to the UK to support the quantification, valuation and resource management of urban trees, greenspaces and forests.

Status current

Research

i-Tree science

Describes the scientific research being undertaken to support the i-Tree suite of tools in the UK

Status current
Themes
Ecosystem services, Urban trees and greenspaces