Urban Forest 2017 Results of the Oldham I-Tree Eco Project the Best Time to Plant a Tree Was 20 Years Ago
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Valuing Oldham’s urban forest 2017 Results of the Oldham i-Tree Eco Project The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago The second best time is now 2 Contents Foreord Foreword 4 Executive summary 6 Introduction 8 Methodology 9 Results – The structural resource 10 The structure of Oldham’s tree resource 12 Results – Ecosystem services resource 18 Air pollution 18 Carbon storage and sequestration 19 Stormwater runof 22 Replacement cost 24 CAVAT – The amenity value of Odham’s trees 27 CAVAT assessment 29 Tree diversity 32 Pests and diseases 34 Conclusion 39 Appendix I – i-Tree Eco model and feld measurements 40 Tree characteristics 40 Air pollution removal 41 Carbon storage and sequestration 42 Oxygen production 42 Avoided runof 42 Building energy use 42 Structural values 42 Potential pest impact 43 Relative tree efects 43 Appendix II Relative community benefts from trees 45 Appendix III Species importance ranking list 47 Appendix IV Full species list 48 References 51 Acknowledgements 54 3 Foreword Jim McMahon OBE MP Carolyn Wilkins OBE I have been aware of the Chief Executive importance of trees and green Oldham Council space in the Urban environment for some time now but this is Oldham Council is constantly often lost among the many other looking to improve and competing factors involved in enhance living standards urban space making, creation, for our residents. management and maintenance. Understanding Oldham’s Oldham’s i-Trees Eco project is urban forest is a signifcant an exciting way to quantify the step towards a more proactive ecosystem benefts provided by approach to the management trees and place a fnancial value of that resource. to those benefts through sound methodology, so that they can Now we can strategically plan be fully recognised for being the to improve and maintain our assets they truly are. urban forest, which in turn will help make Oldham a cleaner, This document provides baseline greener and healthier place to information which informs future live and work. strategy for the management of our urban forest and its This study demonstrates the associated greenspace. It massive benefts that trees gives me great pleasure and provide and how they are one satisfaction to write the foreword of our most important assets. for this report about Oldham’s I look forward to seeing the urban forest and being the frst proposals and outcomes of its kind within Greater generated from gathering Manchester hope that it can such important knowledge be the starting point for and data. a Great Manchester wide i-Tree project. Well done to all who were involved, especially the many This report is of great signifcance volunteers who gave up and all those involved are to be their own time to assist in congratulated. I look forward to this project. its reception in the wider public and professional domains and feel confdent that it will lead to some extremely positive outcomes for Oldham’s urban forest. 4 Cath Green Councillor Councillor Barbara Brownridge Jean Stretton Chief Executive First Choice Homes Oldham Cabinet Member for Leader Neighbourhoods and Oldham Council At First Choice Homes Co-operatives Oldham we’re committed to Oldham Council It’s great to see Oldham improving lives in Oldham. leading the way in Greater We do this by providing This is another excellent Manchester with this forward quality, afordable homes example of the good work thinking and important study. and by creating places where going on across Oldham. I people want to live, work think we all know that trees The results are fascinating and play; and by maintaining are a good thing within the and will be put to great use community facilities and the urban environment, but in the strategic planning of vitality of our green spaces. having some of their many Oldham’s urban forest. benefts quantifed in this I hope this report helps We invest a great deal of way is extremely interesting highlight how important trees our resources working in and important. are to the borough and the partnership with customers positive environmental impact and the local authority to I note with some interest that they have. maintain the trees on our land. ash is one of Oldham’s most We have some understanding numerous and important I was particularly pleased of the benefts trees have trees. With Ash Dieback with the collaborative and on health and wellbeing Disease now widespread in co-operative approach and this study has provided the UK this report has come to the project and must the opportunity to evaluate along just in time so that we take this opportunity to trees as an asset by both can plan a more resilient thank and congratulate all quantifying their value and the and diverse tree population those involved. benefts they provide; we will for Oldham. use this information to inform future investment. I applaud all those involved in this ground-breaking I am proud of the fact that research and the co-operative FCHO are the frst social approach with which it housing provider in the was undertaken. country to recognise this need and to work with partners to commission and deliver the project. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the colleague and customer champions who were involved in this study for their enthusiasm and hard work. Photograph: Strinesdale Country Park 5 Executive summary This urban forest provides a multitude of benefts All the trees in both environmental and aesthetical. The scale and Oldham’s streets, efectiveness of the environmental benefts (or ecosystem services) such as air quality gardens, woodlands improvement, carbon sequestration or temperature and open spaces reduction, are directly infuenced by the way we manage the resource, decisions and actions that can be considered afect its structure and composition over time. as its ‘urban forest’ We know that maintaining and improving Oldham’s urban forest has considerable public support, but also that much of the urban forest has grown and matured in conditions very diferent from the cityscape of today. Consequently, we need to have a good understanding of the structure and value of Oldham’s urban forest to ensure that we are implementing appropriate management, maintenance and planting regimes that will result in maintaining and increasing the canopy cover over time. A frst and necessary step is to better understand the current structure, composition and distribution of Oldham’s urban forest, in order to obtain a baseline from which to set goals and to monitor progress. Furthermore, by measuring the structure of the urban forest (the physical attributes such tree density, tree health, leaf area and biomass), the benefts of the urban forest can also be determined, and the value of these benefts calculated and expressed in monetary terms. 6 Headline fgures Total Number of Trees FCHO Urban 13,400 Rural 253,300 466,800 Urban 200,100 Tree Species FCHO Urban 20 Recorded Rural 12 59 Urban 50 Replacement Cost FCHO Urban £10,560,000.00 £231,000,000.00 Rural £107,730,000.00 Urban £112,710,000.00 Most Common FCHO Urban Cypress, Sycamore, Maple Species Rural Alder, Ash, Larch Urban Alder, Ash, Spruce Tree Cover / Canopy Cover 11.8% / 16.9% Pollution Removal FCHO Urban 2.04 Tonnes £32,252.00 (per annum) £1,026,650.00 Rural 39.50 Tonnes £624,974.00 Urban 23.30 Tonnes £369,424.00 Carbon Storage FCHO Urban 2,712 Tonnes £175,000.00 (whole value) £4,250,000.00 Rural 32,098 Tonnes £2,050,000.00 Urban 31,697 Tonnes £2,025,000.00 Carbon FCHO Urban 153.00 Tonnes/Yr £9,770.00 Sequestration £202,250.00 (per annum) Rural 1,502.00Tonnes/Yr £95,880.00 Urban 1,513.00 Tonnes/Yr £96,600.00 Avoided Runof FCHO Urban 123,382m³ £187,090.00 (trees) £307,300.00 Rural 72,932m³ £110,550.00 Urban 6,367m £9,660.00 Amenity Value £1,789,754,700.00 (CAVAT) Total Annual £1,536,200.00 Benefts 7 Introduction Urban trees provide a range of benefcial services Trees and which are of particular importance in the urban woodlands provide environment. Despite widespread public appreciation of the amenity value of trees the full range of benefts a valuable habitat provided by the urban forest are often unnoticed, for much of the UK’s unappreciated and undervalued. Recognising and evaluating these benefts can help us to make the urban wildlife right decisions about how best to manage our urban trees. These benefts or ‘ecosystem services’ include the reduction of the urban heat island efect through shading and evaporative cooling1; the improvement of local air and water quality by absorbing and fltering pollutants2; and additional health benefts such as reducing stress levels and improving recovery time from illness3. Trees also store carbon, absorbing it into their tissues, helping to ofset carbon emissions produced by other urban activities4. They can also help alleviate fash fooding, a problem that costs cities millions of pounds each year5. Commercial and private property value can be enhanced by being located in tree-lined streets or neighbourhoods6. An increase in tree cover and greenery has also been shown to reduce crime7 and encourage greater consumer spending8. Trees and woodlands also provide a valuable habitat for much of the UK’s urban wildlife, including bats9 and bees10. Many of the ecosystem services provided by urban trees are quantifable using models such as i-Tree Eco. i-Tree Eco is currently the most complete method available to value a whole suite of urban forest ecosystem services11, including pollutant interception and carbon uptake. i-Tree Eco has been used successfully in more than 100 countries, including several cities in the UK.