Research
Quantification and valuation of benefits provided by urban trees
Research Status:current
Urban forests are an important source of ecosystem services in towns and cities. They improve local air quality, offer shade and cool the air, capture carbon, reduce flooding and provide food and habitat for animals, such as insects and birds. Valuing ecosystem services helps tree officers to manage urban trees, and town planners and landscape architects plan where trees can be planted for the maximum benefit.
More information is available on our Treezilla, COMMUNITREE, and Individual Tree Data Standard pages.
This research is currently ongoing.
Forest Research are working with platforms such as i-Tree and Treezilla to quantify and value the ecosystem service provision of urban trees. These projects include the following objectives:
Hand, K. and Doick, K.J. (2019) Understanding the role of urban tree management on ecosystem services. Forest Research, Farnham. 10 pp.
Hand, K., Doick, K.J. and Moss J.L. (2019) Ecosystem services delivery by large stature urban trees. Forest Research, Farnham. 28 pp.
Hand, K., Doick, K.J. and Moss J.L. (2019) Ecosystem services delivery by small and medium stature urban trees. Forest Research, Farnham. 30 pp.
Davies, H., Doick, K.J., Handley, P., O’Brien, L. and Wilson, J. (2017). Delivery of ecosystem services by urban forests. Forestry Commission Research Report.
Forestry CommissionResearch 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
Bringing a fully functioning i-Tree Eco to the UK to support the quantification, valuation and resource management of urban trees, greenspaces and forests.
Science group leader