The Axe, Summer 2014

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AN AXE TO GRIND. MTOA’s QUARTERLY MAGAZINE

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Inside this issue: Chairman's stump

4

A Blustery Day

10

Hedging Your Bets

12

Water Water Everywhere

14

BS 8545

22

Tree Risk Systems

32

Tongues of Fire

38

What is the Urban Forest?

42

Trees and Climate Change

46

Ride for Research

52

And finally

55

Front cover picture. Failed Populus italica Brunswick Park, Sandwell.

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New look Axe.

Interactive content; where you see the leaf logo then the page is ”live” so click for any internet content, try it

Meet this edition’s contributors If you click on any of the pictures you can read there on-line bio.

Jeremy Barrell

Mark Dunteman

Francesco Ferrini

Jonathon Mills

Chris Parker

Glynn Percival

Kenton Rogers

Moray Simpson

Ian McDermott

If you are reading this edition of the Axe on PDF then please ensure you have the view option set for a two page spread, it is designed for on-line viewing so make use of the links embedded.

The MTOA is a fully constituted not for profit organisation . The views expressed in the magazine may not reflect the official views of the MTOA and the association accepts no liability for any views or technical advice presented by its contributing authors.

Editor

Upcoming Events.

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May ISA European congress

June TRAQ Course

MTOA Quarterly meeting, Trees in the Hardscape Urban Tree Diversity The Arb Show ATF Meeting

July Getting Trees Right

August ISA International Conference

European Tree Climbing Championship

September AA Conference APF Please submit your calendar dates to the Editor

MTOA Chairman, Moray Simpson.

The Chairman's Stump.

In deciding what to write about for this edition of the “Axe” I had originally decided to look at the issues surrounding plant health and bio-security. This is an extremely important and current topic; however this will have to wait for another edition. So what changed my mind? Well at a recent Ancient Tree Forum event, I was talking to a tree consultant, who told me about the number of local authority tree officer posts lost recently in her area. This is an issue not just relevant to tree officers, but for all that depend upon the vital services that trees provide in urban areas. So I have decided to look what we as tree officers can do to ensure our posts are not lost in this current wave of cutbacks, thus ensuring that local authority tree services are not lost, to the detriment of our urban tree populations.

So what can we do to save our jobs and thus ensure our urban forestry programmes are on track to deliver the often mentioned benefits that we tree officers know that trees provide? Well, in the past we have traditionally played the “risk” card, using scare tactics to ensure our budgets are maintained. In promoting local authority tree services this is a relatively negative tactic and we have so much more in the armoury nowadays e.g. urban forest ecosystem service benefits. Important as risk management of tree populations is, this is just one part of a successful and holistic urban forestry programme.

I mentioned that we as tree officers know full well what benefits trees provide, however are we getting this message across to the bean counters that are currently cutting local authority services to meet the budgetary

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constraints imposed by the CONDEM government?

Some are and others aren’t. Well, as the cuts are so wide ranging, we have to embed ourselves as an essential service and urban forests as assets.

One of the best ways of doing this to have long term adopted urban forestry/ tree strategies in place. I say long term as we need to act smarter and ensure that our urban forestry action plans bring about real benefits in the long term. We cannot strategically manage tree populations if our targets and actions plans are for 5 – 10 years.

Think what 5 – 10 years is in tree time; it’s nothing. When you’re planning to manage and enhance tree populations, you can’t realistically do this in a short time frame, you need long term targets to make meaningful changes.

For those that don’t have an adopted tree strategy in place, the main argument appears to be time, or rather the lack off it. I have used this excuse myself in the past. We’re so overworked undertaking day to day duties that we don’t have the time to write a strategy and ensure it’s adopted by council. Well, we need to think again and try and make time, as having an adopted tree strategy may well save our posts from the chop.

Getting back to the local authorities who don’t have a strategy, having a tree strategy was one of the ten targets in “Trees in Towns II”. This report stated that “local authorities develop and implement a comprehensive tree strategy” (Britt & Johnston, 2008). The authors of this report also stated that those LA’s that have not got an existing tree strategy and are not in the process of developing one, need to make this an immediate priority” (Britt & Johnston, 2008).

Trees in Towns II revealed that only 28% of English authorities had an existing trees strategy in place. You would hope that this figure is higher now. In 2009, I surveyed all Welsh local authorities on their arboricultural provisions and this revealed that only 19% had a tree strategy in place (Simpson, 2009). I’m aware that there hasn’t been an improvement on this figure since then.

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Table 1 Tree

Wales (WLAAP 09 Survey)

England (TIT II Survey)

% of total Responses/ (No.

Category

of Responses)

All trees (Council & Privately Owned).

66.67% (3)

42.72% (44)

Development Site Trees

0% (0)

13.59% (14)

TPO & Conservation Area Trees

0% (0)

14.56% (15)

All Council Owned Trees

33.33 % (1)

11.65% (12) *

Council Housing Site Trees

33.33 % (1)

30.10% (31)

Highway

33.33 % (1)

26.21% (27)

Public Open 33.33 % (1) Space Trees

22.33% (23)

Trees

0% (0)

5.83% (6)

All Woodland (Council & Privately Owned)

33.33 % (1)

13.59% (14)

Council Owned Woodland

0% (0)

29.13% (30)

Education Site Trees

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A tree strategy should be comprehensive, encompassing all aspects of urban forestry.

In looking at the data provided by “Trees in Towns II” and the Welsh Local Authority Arboricultural Provisions 2009” survey in the table shown at “table 1” overleaf, very few tree strategies cover all aspects that an urban forestry programme should.

The “Trees in Towns II” study also showed that only 25.5% of English local authorities’ tree strategies contained specific targets for tree planting and management (Britt & Johnston, 2008). The authors said that “while broad policy statements about the need to plant more trees and improve the care and protection of existing trees are to be commended, these need to be supported by action plans with specific targets that specify how these objectives will be achieved. It could be argued that any relevant strategy document that does not include some targets for tree planting and management is little more than a mission statement” (Britt &

Johnston, 2008). So it’s not enough to have a tree strategy, the strategy needs to be a SMART document too.

So, to summarise, as tree officers’ we need to work strategically to ensure that our posts are not lost. We not only need to shout loudly about the multiple benefits that trees and in particular urban tree populations provide, we need to ensure that our urban forestry programmes are strategically embedded in council plans.

References: · Britt, C & Johnston, M (2008). Trees in Towns II: A New Survey of Urban Trees in England and their condition and management (Research for Amenity Trees No. 9).

Department for Communities and Local Government: London. · Simpson, M (2009). A Survey of Welsh Local Authority Arboricultural Provisions.

Unpublished.

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Kingston Lacy: ancient cedar felled at the National Trust property

Ancient trees are suffering "unsustainable" losses because of worries about failure, but a lack of data on large trees being felled is preventing campaigners from making their case.

NEWS IN BRIEF

"More places are closing so they don't have to intervene with their trees so much," said Woodland Trust ancient trees expert Jill Butler.

"Incidents where there are casualties and publicity put a lot of pressure on other sites if they can't close to the public. We'd like the public to be more responsible so these accidents don't happen in the first place and not go into sites where they're putting themselves at risk.

"We feel there is a high rate of loss and it isn't sustainable, and our concerns are about rate of loss because of natural events, health and safety and lack of knowledge."

She said an ancient tree such as the Duke of Wellington cedar (HW, 10 January), recently felled by the National Trust at Kingston Lacy in Dorset is irreplaceable and planting young trees is like destroying a Chippendale and "replacing it with a reproduction".

Butler recommended Government funding for top-quality tree advice for landowners and a national register of trees, similar to listed buildings, to stop more ancient tree loss.

Tree consultant Jeremy Barrell said he is frustrated because "we know it is happening, but cannot substantiate it".

On the "rapidly depleting heritage of old trees" he added that "risk assessment has become so complicated that arborists are so confused they are taking the easy option and felling rather than taking the risk.

"I am seeing case after case

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The “Barcham Line”

Installed for £2.50 for those Tree Officers too lazy to supervise their tree planting!

where trees have just been felled when there was an obvious and easy management option." Barrell said he advocates crown reduction or fencing off.

Future heritage Jeremy Barrell, managing director, Barrell Tree Consultancy "I am aware from general practice that many large trees are being removed and these are the ones that will eventually become our future heritage trees. What seems to be happening is that the loss of these intermediate trees is diminishing the future stock of heritage trees. The reality seems to be that we do not know where a lot of these trees are, which is why we need a national register like the listed buildings schedule, which is why the Tree Council Green Monuments initiative is so important. Until we know what we have got, we really will have no idea of what we are losing."

Looking to book for the ISA Milwaukee conference?

Www.isa-arbor.com

Click above for the promo video.

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A BLUSTERY

St Jude storm may have killed around 10 million trees

Around 10 million trees are estimated to have died as a result of the St Jude storm that swept across England last month, according to Forestry Commission figures released on Friday.

Immediate ecological assessments showed that woodland and ancient trees survived much better than expected, with tree loss nowhere near the scale of previous powerful storms. The National Trust and Woodland Trust, which between them manage several thousand woods across Britain, both reported little serious damage.

More than half (64%) of the 109,000 woodlands across southern England are likely to have been affected by the storm in some way but very few woodlands should suffer long-term damage, the results of a two-week survey show.

The commission organised a two-week survey of 165 woodlands from Cornwall to Suffolk, searching for trees blown over or snapped and looking at damage to their crowns to assess overall woodland damage.

“I wouldn’t want anyone to be too concerned by the large numbers of trees affected by the storm,” said a commission spokesman. “We need to remember that this was a natural event with the effects spread across many woodlands and they have great capacity to recover.” Around 650 million trees remain across the area the storm passed through.

The storm caused more damage between Wiltshire and Kent with little or no damage recorded at the south-west and north-east extremes of the survey area.

Forestry Commission finds more than half of southern England’s woodlands are likely to have been affected by the storm.

By sampling clusters of woodland, the commission found that 3.7% of trees suffered damage to their crown (foliage and branches), and 1.5% of area and trees

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DAY!

Damage to New Forest trees "worse than Great Storm of 1987"

Senior tree officer Bryan Wilson

were affected by windthrow and snap – where trees are uprooted or broken by the wind.

The damage was mostly spread thinly throughout woods and mostly affected broadleaved stands – trees like ash, beech, birch, elm, holly, hornbeam, lime, oak and poplar that have wide leaves.

Most wind-damaged timber will not be economic to harvest and is likely be left where it is, to turn into valuable deadwood habitats for wildlife. In the UK up to one-fifth of woodland species depend on dead or dying wood for all or part of their life cycle.

The winter's storms and rain have caused unprecedented damage to the New Forest's trees, according to New Forest National Park Authority's senior tree officer Bryan Wilson.

"This is extreme weather by anybody's terms - a succession of storms with strong winds and continued rainfall has been going on since October with hardly any respite," he said. "It is worse than we had even in 1987 and 1990 storms."

Wilson's team, which covers the National Park and wider New Forest district, has had to issue 160 notices for urgent work to protected trees in the four months

image:NFNPA

between October 2013 and January this year, compared to 30 notices in the same period a year ago.

"The Tree Service telephone has been ringing more or less continuously over the last few weeks with requests from anxious landowners seeking help and advice about their or their neighbours' trees," Wilson added.

Lying mostly in Hampshire, the New Forest has the greatest concentration of ancient and veteran trees in western Europe. Around half the National Park, which was created in 2005, is woodland.

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Hedging Your

I Martin Sutton, the County Arboriculturalist and Natural Environment Manager for Shropshire Council gave a very comprehensive overview of the regs.

Next Meeting See the inside back page for details of MTOA’s next seminar “Trees in Crisis”, another not to be missed value for money extravaganza on the 14th May at Cannock Chase Museum.

Book your places straight away, download the registration form here.

will admit that when the MTOA Board first discussed the idea of a seminar on the Hedgerow Regulations and there impact and management I was somewhat sceptical as this was definitely a departure from our normal “tree stuff” type of seminar. I didn’t expect there to be much of an interest from our members but went with the opinion of the majority.

However, I am happy to say that I was completely wrong (hardly the first time) and we had a bumper crowd gathered at the South Staffordshire District Council Chambers, one of our regular and most successful venues, for the MTOA’s Christmas meeting which also doubles as the AGM. As you can see from the main picture the room was pretty well full and the atmosphere was the typical MTOA one, plenty of good natured humour and plenty of tall tales to be told, but this was not really our usual crowd.

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Bets!

Emma Marrington, Senior Officer for the CPRE

A review of the recent MTOA workshop

For the first time in a long time we had reached out beyond the usual suspects and a large proportion of the crowd were Landscape Officers, Ecologists, Archaeologists, Conservationists and private sector contractors, from all corners of the country. A definite success!

There is no doubt that the quality of the speakers helped draw the crowd, as you would expect from an MTOA event but the range of skills and depth of knowledge on display was a pleasure to behold.

MTOA’s thanks would like to go especially to Martin Sutton for doubling up on his presentation after a train issue meant one of the other speakers wen AWOL and a special thank you must be extended to our own Portia “Moksa” Howe for spending a great deal of time pulling this all together.

MTOA has a full suite of dates over the next few months with events in May, June September and December planned already, check out the diary page for more details and book straight away.

Andy Wigley, the Principal Archaeologist and for Shropshire Council

AGM The Annual General Meeting of the MTOA was a fairly straight forward affair as it was a “mid-term” meeting. All of the elected officers were returned to post (details on our website) Subsequently though we have ahd a resignation (see the last page of this magazine) and so are inviting invitations to the membership for a volunteer to fill this gap, please email for details: enquiries@mtoa.co.uk

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T

he UK has just experienced the wettest winter ever recorded with flooding widespread across many parts of Southern England. Consequently millions of trees will have faced prolonged periods of waterlogging stress. The Environmental Agency are quick to point out that soils will still remain fully saturated for up to two months even when the rain stops and the flood waters slowly drain. Whilst all trees have evolved to tolerate some degree of waterlogging, the extensive flooding recently experienced will undoubtedly negatively impact on their current health and potentially leave them at greater risk of disease attack and by default windthrow in the near-future.

THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY WATERLOGGING Whilst it may appear to be a relatively simple problem at first, waterlogging stress is actually a series of significant events and processes, the severity of which increases with flooding duration. Waterlogging begins when drainage is not sufficient to allow water to pass freely from the root zone. This can happen for a number of reasons; compaction, poor soil structure, layers of clay or volume of water entering the soil. Soils vary naturally in their drainage by composition, clay, loam, sand etc. and geographic features will also effect it.

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In urban environments, drainage is notoriously poor and trees are often surrounded by impermeable surfaces such as tarmac which funnel water to the exposed ground around their roots and prevent wet soil beneath from drying. Under ideal conditions trees should help to prevent stress on urban drainage systems by reducing the volume of rain water reaching the ground and helping return it to the atmosphere.

However this function requires that trees are kept healthy and soil conditions play an important role in this.

Tree roots and the micro-organisms (mycorrhiza, bacteria, arthropods) associated with the root system require oxygen, provided by air filled pores. Waterlogging fills the pores in soil with water preventing this. Typically oxygen moves into the soil through these pores at a rate suitable for both the roots and micro-organisms; however when they are filled with water oxygen movement is reduced and eventually inhibited. If (Continued on page 16)

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(Continued from page 15)

flooding is minimal i.e. the soil surface is still exposed, only the upper soil layers receive notable amounts of oxygen. If the water level is above the soil surface oxygen levels are far lower. In compacted soils, the pores are even smaller, and as a consequence they fill up quicker i.e. waterlogging is more severe.

As both the root system and associated microorganisms are oxygen dependent, any oxygen present in the soil layers is quickly used up.

Normal function and growth of roots is

interrupted. Once oxygen becomes deficient “normal� aerobic soil micro -organisms drop in numbers and enter an inactive state until soil conditions become more hospitable again. Consequently microorganisms adapted to low oxygen levels proliferate in their place e.g.

Paracoccus denitrificans, specialized species of Clostridium, Geobacter, Pseudomonas, and Desulfobacter. Such microorganisms are associated with the production of substances toxic to the tree (ethylene, ammonium, reduced iron and manganese, sulphide), release of nitrogen from soil and soil acidification.

Excess water also dilutes and moves plant available nitrogen and other nutrients away from the root system. Tree roots can survive without oxygen for a limited time but not for prolonged periods.

Prolonged waterlogging influences root metabolism resulting in the build-up of toxic metabolites within root tissue which accumulate and damage the root cells. Root damage during waterlogging is indicated by blue-black discolouration and peeling bark. Root tips and fine roots, which are critical parts of the root system for growth and nutrient uptake, are especially at risk.

Waterlogging prevents normal root function and therefore detrimentally impacts on total tree biology. Due to stomatal closure photosynthesis is interrupted having two major (Continued on page 18)

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(Continued from page 16)

impacts. One, the tree is unable to produce sufficient carbohydrates for growth and so relies heavily on carbohydrate reserves. These reserves are mainly found in the root system and so become at risk of depletion. The longer flooding persists, the greater the reserves exhausted. Two, inhibited photosynthesis produces by-products such as hydrogen peroxide and reactive oxygen species which damage essential chloroplasts and plant cells. Symptoms are shown in the canopy of the tree as leaf yellowing and senescence, reduced fruit yield, wilting, shoot dieback and decay.

Trees do have some adaptations to longterm waterlogging such as producing adventitious roots above the water line and transporting air from above ground through their tissues to the roots.

However tolerance to waterlogging and the degree of use of such adaptations varies markedly by species. Examples of trees which often form adventitious roots are: silver birch (Betula pendula), common alder (Alnus glutinosa), giant redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and willows (Salix spp.). Along with tree species, plant age, as well as the movement and properties of the flood water are important factors in waterlogging survival. Trees vary in waterlogging tolerance between closely related species and even within species.

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In general broad-leaved species are more tolerant than coniferous species. The season in which flooding occurs also has an impact; dormant trees show greater resistance to short-term flooding. The speed at which the ground becomes saturated is also important, as slower waterlogging allows the tree to adapt to some degree.

DISEASES Damage to roots from waterlogging stress leaves them vulnerable to decay causing organisms. Excess soil water aids and encourages the spread of infection of major soil borne pathogens such as Armillaria, Phytophthora, and Pythium.

Armillaria spread and growth is enhanced by waterlogging. Phytophthora and Pythium species are especially adapted to attack hosts under waterlogged conditions, having spores with a flagella (tail) that allows them to swim through saturated soil, attracted to stress related substances released by stressed roots. Retreating flood waters can leave soil deposited around the root collars of trees leaving them further disposed to soil borne pathogens

MANAGEMENT PRACTICES Application of treatments during flooding poses logistical problems and consequently has yet to be investigated to any great extent. However, there are a

number of management practices that can help trees recover from flooding damage. Nitrogen fertilization has shown promise in alleviating flood stress, although it is not a complete remedy. It resupplies nitrogen lost from soil during flooding which is important for the tree to produce proteins and enzymes essential to growth, flood tolerance and survival. Work at the Bartlett Tree Research Lab has shown that it also helps to direct resources to the roots which are the key area affected by flood stress.

Improving soil structure, aeration and drainage is a good strategy for a preventative measure. This can be done by air-spading and by adding porous materials such as perlite or biochar which has added plant health benefits. Biochar amendment can also help retain fertilizers in the soil. These structural amendments keep the soil structure open and can reverse compaction, allowing water to drain from soils as quickly as possible. Installing a drainage system is also another option. General plant health care practices following flooding are important as waterlogging problems persist once water has drained away.

Consequently, the legacy of the recent floods in terms of tree health may extend far beyond their retreat.

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Tree preservation order failings leave council with ÂŁ75,000-plus bill A Surrey local authority faces a stiff legal bill after its attempt to prosecute a developer and its arboricultural contractors for allegedly breaching a tree preservation order (TPO) was quashed by the High Court.

Tandridge District Council had tried to prosecute Village Developments and its contractors ATC Arboriculturalists for allegedly ring-barking four oak trees on land earmarked for development in Oxted.

But following an appeal by the two firms, the court ruled that the developer did not have sufficient notice and were not obliged to notify its contractor, effectively blocking the prosecution.

The TPO was first served last March after nearby residents found that the trees, on the green belt land, had been girdled.

Although the council had served the TPO at the

addresses of the land's registered owners, the judge ruled it should have been served at the same time on Village Developments, rather than by recorded delivery post.

The council will now have to pay the firms' costs of around ÂŁ75,000 along with its own legal costs.

A council representative said: "We are very disappointed at the outcome of the hearing. The council will consider its position further once the written judgement is issued."

Describing the case as "a thoroughly nasty episode", Village Developments managing director Nigel Greenhalgh said: "It seems to have come about because councillors put pressure on officers to placate a group of residents opposing our development plans.

"Neither we not ATC were aware of the TPO and Tandridge did not demur from that position."

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New £7m research package to tackle tree pests and diseases The Government has announced seven new Professor Tariq Butt, Swansea University research projects valued at £7 million to Promoting resilience of UK tree species to address pest and disease threats to novel pests and pathogens: ecological and Britain's trees. evolutionary solutions – £1.4m, led by Dr Launching the multi-disciplinary Tree Stephen Cavers, Centre for Ecology and Health and Plant Biosecurity Initiative Hydrology.

(THAPBI), environment minister Lord de Modelling economic impact and strategies Mauley said: "It is vital we invest in to increase resilience against tree disease research to better protect our precious outbreaks – £900,000, led by Dr Adam woodland from the future threat of pest Kleczkowski, University of Stirling. and disease."

Projects funded under the initiative are: Population structure and natural selection in the Chalara ash dieback fungus, Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus – £635,000, led by Professor James Brown, the John Innes Centre.

Identifying genomic resources against pests and pathogens in tree genera: a case study in Fraxinus – £760,000, led by Dr Richard Buggs, Queen Mary, University of London.

Biological pest control of insect pests that threaten tree health – £900,000, led by

New approaches for the early detection of tree health pests and pathogens – £1.9m, led by Dr Rick Mumford, Food & Environment Research Agency (Fera).

Understanding public risk concerns: an investigation into the social perception, interpretation and communication of tree health risks – £615,000, led by Dr Clive Potter, Imperial College London.

THAPBI is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Defra, the Economic and Social Research Council, Forestry Commission, Natural Environment Research Council and the Scottish Government.

BS 8545: more of the same, or something different?

Jeremy Barrell, Barrell Tree Consultancy.

U

rban canopy cover; why does it matter?

In February 2007, I attended a four-day Consulting Academy in Sacramento, California, run by the American Society of Consulting Arborists. We stayed in the Downtown Hilton and from the balcony of the ninth floor, there was a panoramic view out over the city (photo 1). It is an image that remains engrained in my mind because it graphically demonstrated a dominant urban character of buildings set within a treed landscape. Most disturbing was that this was not the way that many British towns and cities looked, where character is dominated by buildings, with a few trees fitted in here and there, where there is space.

I wanted to understand why Sacramento was so much greener than its British counterparts and spent the next few months pondering the reasons for such a stark difference. I was booked to speak at the AA Conference in Warwick six months later in September, and my US experience significantly influenced what I talked about. Something was clearly wrong in Britain, I wanted to find out what it was and, more importantly, work out what to do about it. My presentation was titled Trees; urban air-conditioning, and it was the first airing of the idea that canopy cover in British cities was declining.

I had always suspected that there was a problem; for decades as a contractor, I had been removing trees and it was obvious that few were being replaced (photo 2). A gradual denudation of urban canopy cover was happening right in front of our eyes, but it was so subtle that nobody had really realised the cumulative impact it was having. Slowly, but surely, a vital component for making communities pleasant to live in was being eroded away. Although subconsciously I knew there was a problem, I had never really thought about it in a strategic way until the Sacramento experience exposed the grim reality. The AA event was a turning point in the canopy cover story because two dedicated conferences soon followed run by Neville Fay at TEP (www.treeworks.co.uk), and today we have London imminently the subject of the biggest i-Tree project in the world. Canopy cover is now firmly on the urban management agenda and that is a big difference from back in 2007.

Since my trip to Sacramento, canopy cover has dominated my thinking. I identified that primary causes for the decline include; the failure of arborists to understand and promote the benefits of trees; the complexity of tree risk management that has resulted in arborists felling trees rather than risk keeping them; the failure of local and national government to understand the importance of trees in creating and maintaining sustainable communities; the failure of local planning authorities (LPAs) to prepare tree strategies; the failure of LPAs to

effectively use and enforce planning conditions relating to existing and new trees; a predisposition of highway authorities to remove trees and not replace them; and, most relevant to this story, a failure rate of around 25% for new tree planting. None of these reasons is the sole or dominant cause, but nonetheless, I was convinced that all were contributing to the cumulative and relentless downwards trend of our urban canopy cover.

Working towards the ultimate objective of establishing and maintaining a fully stocked and healthy urban canopy is the reason why arboriculture exists and why arboriculturists have a job, so canopy cover should be of profound importance to us all.

What is different about BS 8545?

bigger canopy cover picture, and I had realised that seemingly small individual improvements across the spectrum of problems could make a big cumulative difference. I sensed that increasing the success rate of new planting was clearly an important element towards reversing the loss of canopy cover, but how could I contribute to that cause? So, when Keith Sacre contacted me around 2009 and asked if I would help him with a new British Standard on tree planting, I was interested because I knew it would be important, but I also had serious reservations. My experiences at working with the British Standards Institution (BSI) had all been bad; I perceived it as an archaic and inward-looking organisation, with a weak leadership failing to understand or adapt to the demands of the modern professional environment, and I had no confidence in its ability to deliver a document

I am not a nursery specialist and I don’t know much about tree planting, but I knew that planting failures was one small Photo 1: Sacramento in 2007 from the 9th floor of the part of the Downtown Hilton, showing a landscape of buildings among trees, as opposed to trees fitted in between buildings.

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of quality or value. However, Keith convinced me otherwise, and I joined the group.

BS 8545 Trees from nursery to independence in the landscape is different from the run-ofthe-mill material that BSI normally churns out in a number of ways:

bulk of the content through extensive consultation, with the assistance of leaders in the multiple disciplines that the subject embraced. The TDAG document demonstrates the obvious benefits that arise from this approach, namely consistency of style, relevance of content and ease of use.

This BS panel adopted a similar approach, with one lead author who pulled together all the input from the panel of specialists.

1. Panel members: Instead of the usual focus on industry representatives, with all the vested interest conflicts that brings, this panel was assembled with an emphasis on specialists of proven practical experience across the range of disciplines that engage in tree growing, planting and maintenance.

3. Ease of accessing the content: A

priority throughout the preparation of this Standard was that it would be easy to use for the people who were growing, planning for, planting and maintaining new trees.

However, we soon realised that there was so much technical information and research that to simply regurgitate all that material was not 2. Lead author: The Trees and Design feasible. At the same time, we were Action Group (TDAG), in the way it prepared conscious of the problems that BS 3998 had and delivered its outstanding publication, encountered in getting to grips with the Trees in the Townscape, a Guide for Decision same issue, and wanted to learn from that Makers (www.tdag.org.uk/trees-in-theexperience. Indeed, BS 3998 was so lengthy townscape.html0), has set a modern and difficult to use that it had prompted the benchmark in producing documents that are Tree Life Arboricultural Consultancy Ltd to relevant and easy to use for the target prepare an excellent concise version audience. It did this through using a lead (www.treelifeac.co.uk/bs3998), which is far author, who more useful on compiled the Photo 2: Site clearance in the 1980s; many of us suspected a practical level that urban canopy cover was declining as trees were being removed and not replaced.

than the original document. Towards this end, BS 8545 has three layers of information; the first and most obvious is that each individual recommendation is listed as a separate clause of one or two sentences in the main body text of the document; the second is a series of annexes behind these recommendations to provide more proseorientated detailed explanation; and the third is a list of the technical references and links that readers can access if they need even more detail.

time of delivery, and hardly at all influenced by the longer term needs, i.e. the tree survives and thrives to maturity and beyond, once it is planted. This Standard stresses the importance of treating the growing, supply, planting and maintenance of new trees as one continuous process, which is only as good as the weakest link in that process, i.e. a failure of any part will compromise the successful outcome of the whole. Achieving the objective of new trees that can survive and thrive to independence in the landscape will require substantial changes to the mindset of both suppliers and consumers.

Suppliers will need to think much more 4. Visual and conceptual content: It is carefully about species, provenance and widely known and understood that diagrams, growing practice to increase tree survivability flow charts and images are extremely after planting. Consumers will need to be effective at engaging readers and imparting much more demanding in the quality of important information quickly and clearly. In plants they ask for and what they accept on that context, we carefully considered the delivery. If successful, this whole process of producing, Standard will facilitate those planting and maintaining changes by empowering new trees, and created a consumers to clearly specify series of flowcharts to How can tree officers what they want and motivate conceptualise its key make a difference? suppliers to meet those components. These form the detailed demands. basis of the body text and “Due Diligence” each individual recommendation flows from 2. Climate change: that framework. This allows users to easily understand the overview Adapting to climate change will become an quickly and identify the particular issue that increasingly important aspect of LPAs they require information on without reading managing their local environment and the whole document. Furthermore, although increasing canopy cover is one of the most the BSI framework does not allow effective way of buffering the direct impacts photographs (one of the multiple reasons on local communities. That means a focus why the organisation seems archaic and out on bigger and longer-lived species that of touch with the modern world), we were provide more climate adaptation benefits for able to introduce many diagrammatic longer. The importance of this as a planning illustrations of important aspects within the consideration is set out very early on in the overall process.

Standard at 5.4.3: “All planting projects should be designed with the climate BS 8545 is unique in many ways, and I pull adaptation benefits of trees in mind and out just a few important points to emphasise should specifically aim to contribute to the how it is relevant to emerging good practice: national climate adaptation initiative”.

1. Growing, supplying, planting and maintaining new trees should be a joined up process: One of the most challenging difficulties with the existing market for new trees is that their production and sale by the producers is primarily influenced by the immediate needs of the consumers, i.e. a tree of a certain size at the

3. Finding out about and fitting in with local initiatives: The nature of modern tree planting schemes is that they are often not very well linked and lack overall coordination. This results in omissions, misunderstandings and duplications of (Continued on page 26)

(Continued from page 25)

effort, which are all counterproductive to the objective of efficient canopy cover management. This failing can be improved by careful planning early on in the design of a scheme by investigating what other local initiatives are around and organising your project within that wider framework. The importance of finding out about other initiatives in the design process is set out very early on in the Standard at 5.6.2: “Where appropriate, the design of new planting projects should be informed by the responses to community consultation and local interest groups”.

4. Rooting through the bottom and sides of pits: One practical focus, of the many that this Standard embraces, relates to tree rooting. It is widely, and often mistakenly for the urban environment, expected that trees will only root in the top metre or so of the soil profile, and anything deeper than this is not important. My practical observations over the years indicates that often the opposite is the case in many urban conditions, i.e. that the upper metre of the soil profile can be so hostile to rooting that trees are forced to go deeper, with species that can do so, such as plane and lime, performing best in poor conditions.

This has direct implications for the design of planting installations where there is a presumption to use geotextiles to line the sides and bottom of the pit. If these prevent roots growing beyond the pit, and that includes downwards as well as sideways, then that may severely compromise the long term survival of the tree through preventing access to deeper and more distant soil reserves. This is recognised and highlighted in a number of places in the Standard, namely in 10.2.4: “The use of geotextiles or any other barrier to root growth, either at the base of or along the sides of tree pits, can limit root development into surrounding soils.

Unless there is a specific requirement to inhibit root growth, such barriers should not be used as a tree pit lining.” and in Annexe F1.3: “It also seems likely that the use of geotextiles to surround the cell installation needs to be carefully assessed. Membranes

that are a barrier to root growth beyond the planting pit prevent trees exploiting adjacent native soil and can adversely affect long term survival.” These clauses are intended to assist users in making provision for longer term tree survival by securing access to extended rooting volumes.

How can tree officers make a difference?

Although the burden of efficiently adapting to climate change falls on us all, LPAs and particularly tree officers, are well-placed to have a significant impact, and quickly. Here are some suggestions of positive actions that tree officers can take to make a difference:

1. Get a copy of BS 8545: As a matter of due diligence, all LPAs should have a copy of nationally recognised guidance documents and this Standard falls into that category. Of course, there will be complaints about the cost and funding cuts, but it is difficult to see how any public body charged with administering efficient development can discharge its statutory duty without having access to its own copy.

2. Talk to forward planning: All LPAs have to prepare strategic plans and have specific people in forward planning charged with that function. Even if the bulk of the LPA officers and members are not aware of the requirements of the Climate Change Act (2008) right now, they soon will be and the specific requirement in that legislation for LPAs to report on their progress in managing the risk from climate change. As this Act begins to bite in the next decade, LPAs will be scrabbling to find ways to demonstrate how they have managed the risks from climate change, and climate adaptation through the planting of new trees is likely to be a very effective means of demonstrating achievement. Even if it does not have a high profile right now, planting new trees is soon going to be very important and getting this document cited in emerging plans will be a

very effective mechanism for delivering that policy objective.

6. Seek out and promote instances of effective use: One of the most effective

means of persuading doubting LPA officers that a course of action is worth taking is to 3. Write it into planning conditions: show them cases in other LPAs where it has Planning conditions are a been applied and the very effective mechanism benefits that have for administering followed. There will be “Tree officers are in a very development, and examples of LPAs that strong position to drive specifically referencing get this right very this Standard in quickly and using them change . Knowing how to conditions is likely to be as exemplars of how it make a difference is a instrumental in should be done will improving planting often worry doubters good start, but doing success rates. However, into action for fear of something is even better!� those conditions have to being left behind. be updated and tree officers must be proactive in initiating that process. All tree 7. Feedback: It would be impossible to take officers should be talking to planners asking on the task of producing such a complex for planning conditions to be updated to standard and get it right first time. This specifically reference this Standard.

Standard is new and is no exception, so plenty of areas for improvement will emerge as it is tested through everyday use and its 4. Use it in enforcement: This Standard weaknesses are exposed. There is no doubt has been specifically written to empower that the panel have done the best they could those who buy trees and oversee their in the time available with the resources at planting to be able to demand certain their disposal, but it is a work-in-progress, standards, identify when those standards and improvements will be needed. Everyday have not been met and have the confidence users are the best-placed people to find to challenge poor practice. When tree those weaknesses and feedback to BSI is the officers discover poor quality trees or mechanism to make sure problems are planting, that are not in accordance with this considered at the next revision.

Standard, then its provisions give them the In summary, although there is still a long way means and backup to insist that minimum to go before tree planting success rates are standards are met. anywhere near acceptable, it is clear from the above suggestions that individuals can make 5. Encourage its use: Tree officers are a positive contribution to that overall often in a position to lead good practice by objective. Tree officers are in a very strong referencing appropriate standards and position to drive change and, although each making it clear that they are expecting action in isolation will be small and unlikely compliance. Tell developers, planning to make much difference very quickly, the consultants, architects, landscape architects, cumulative impact of lots of people working arboriculturists, and all the other professionals involved in planning towards the same end has the potential to applications, that they are expecting the deliver a much bigger result. As a group, provisions of this Standard to be met in all tree officers are extremely powerful and have submissions. Then there can be no real potential to change planting success complaints when inadequate planning rates. Knowing how to make a difference is a applications are delayed because of good start, but doing something is even insufficient information. better!

An axe to grind, Pg.28

London tree mapping exercise “has just one chance to get it right”

fed into the iTree Eco application, which provides policymakers with hard data on the range of ecosystems services that urban trees provide.

London tree officers have been urged to get involved in what is believed to be the largest ever urban tree “It’s been done in other UK mapping exercise this cities but they used paid summer. consultants,” he said. “Given the scale and the budget we Speaking to a London Tree have, this has to be Officers Association (LTOA) voluntary.” seminar on Friday 31 January, Forestry Students on land-based Commission England urban courses looking to gain field forestry adviser Jim Smith data gathering experience explained that 66 teams, would make good each made up of a tree candidates to assist in the expert and two assistants, work, he added. would be required to record Giving his support, LTOA information on trees at chair Jake Tibbetts said: “We around 700 plot points will only have one chance to across the capital. do this right.”

The information will then be

An axe to grind, Pg.29

Imported Dutch elm disease-resistant elm trees could introduce the elm yellows (EY) virus into Britain's already beleaguered elm population, Forest Research has warned, as industry views are sought on a response to the threat.

Defra and the devolved authorities are currently consulting with stakeholders to develop a UK position on the virus, also known as elm phloem necrosis, which is spread by insects and by vegetative propagation.

The consultation proposes a choice of two courses of action:

Elm will also be added to the list of plant genera whose importation from other EU states must be notified to the authorities.

The disease is widespread in North America and there have been a number of outbreaks in Italy, France and Germany. It was detected in a batch of Italian DEDresistant 'Morfeo' elms being trialled in the UK in 2012.

According to an assessment by Forest Research, "The use of resistant elm material from elm breeding programmes in Europe has raised the possibility that EY could be introduced into the UK via planting stock potentially exposed to this disease in the original place of production."

 A surveillance and awareness-raising programme, to determine whether additional EU or national legal requirements would be justified, before the The UK native field elm (Ulmus minor) is start of the next planting season; thought to be susceptible to EY, while the  the same but with restrictions on wych elm (U. glabra) appears resistant. imports and movements of elm put in place in the interim.

The plant health authorities already intend to trace and destroy trees known to be associated with infected batches.

Picture courtesy of the US Forest Service.

An axe to grind, Pg.30

Fatality statistics from the US published

Click on the picture for the full story or follow the link below. http://myemail.constantcontact.com/For-Immediate-Release--Occupational-Tree-Care-Accidents-in2013.html?soid=1109594220206&aid=hnTOMvwLWfw

An axe to grind, Pg.31

Trees ARE Worth It! Trees are Worth IT is an initiative that the Midlands collective of the Trees and Design Action Group are looking to get involved with. Some of you will be aware of this and Treezilla but for those of you who aren't here's the basics.

4. On the day write the monetary figure on to a pre-printed label which we will supply.

Treezilla (visit the website ww.treezilla.org - it's very informative) calculates the ecosystem value of a tree and converts it to a cash figure based on two simple factors; its diameter and species.

6. The day after take the label off

On 4th June 2014 we are hoping to 'price tag' hundreds of trees across the region for one day to raise public awareness of what trees do for us. We hope to involve local community groups, schools, tree wardens, local authority officers, individuals, businesses even but it's very simple really.

1. In advance identify a tree which stands out, is passed by lots of people or is just fabulous.

2. Liaise with the owner 3. Just before the day on Treezilla type in its co-ordinates, species and diameter which will produce a monetary figure.

5. Tie the label to the tree , take photos and post them on Treezilla.

If at any stage you can engage with a school, the press, etc and make a bit of a scene about it, excellent. But if you can’t do it anyway.

Because Treezilla has the co-ordinates of the tree it will plot it onto its national map and you or anyone else can at any time add photos, text etc on that tree.

Do you want to be a part of this? If so let Julie Sadler (julie.sadler@birmingham.gov.uk) know and we will keep you updated.

We are looking for sponsors too! The MTOA and Acorn Tree Surgeons have already pledged financial support which will be recognised on the 'price tag' . Sponsors might be local tree surgeons, businesses, etc. Let us know and we will send details of what sponsorship will involve and provide for.

Urban Tree Diversity Conference

An Assessment of Ordinal Tree Risk Rating Systems

I

mages of a crushed car or flattened

The LANTRA Professional Tree Inspection

house beneath a fallen tree tend to

qualification and the recent transition of the

accompany articles on tree risk. This

International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)

common image depicts an outcome of a

toward the Tree Risk Assessment

tree part failure that does not convey the

Qualification (TRAQ) provides an opportunity

norm. The more typical scenario is depicted

to critically review our understanding of risk

in Image 1, a failure occurs and nothing

and specifically the ordinal rating systems

happens. Much of our reaction to tree risk is

that have been used to date. Closer study of

driven by concerns regarding extreme

risk measurement concepts and ordinal

situations. Furthermore, our understanding

rating scales suggests that current ordinal

has been primarily informed through

risk rating scales create an overreliance on

litigation and tree biomechanics. The former

interpretations drawn from these scales and

has more than likely skewed our perception

newer forms of risk assessment may be more

of liability, and the latter addresses only one

appropriate within the context of our

of the elements that determine tree risk.

profession.

Perhaps due to these factors, the arboriculture profession tends to emphasize the extreme consequences of a tree part failure. Tree risk assessments and management are complex topics and should not be driven by the extremes. Those of us within the profession who evaluate standing trees for risk need to be fully informed on this evolving subject.

The simplest definition of risk is the potential of experiencing harm or loss. The assignment of risk anticipates or attempts to quantify the likelihood of an event occurring, which is typically viewed as a negative event when concerning trees. The risk determination of an individual tree involves the careful assessment and integration of three components: (1) the identification of

A full discussion of this complex topic cannot

the likelihood of a tree part to fail; (2) a

be presented in one brief article. The

determination of the likelihood of that part

purpose of this essay is to challenge

striking a target or impeding service if it

arborists, working both in private and public

fails, and, (3) an evaluation of the

sector, to further their understanding of tree

consequences if both likelihoods occur.

risk and to apply more rigorous standards to their practice. One issue of consideration, at least in North America, is the plethora of ordinal tree risk rating systems that have been developed over the last two decades.

Our ability to reliably predict the likelihood of a tree part failure combined with the likelihood of the tree part striking a target will only strengthen as we seek ways to assess and measure these dimensions.

Currently,

Large Silver Maple Acer saccharinum failure without major consequences.

the ability to identify tree risk is driven by

corroborating data points. Overreliance on

mostly qualitative methods. However, by

one data point to form interpretations

examining some of the weaknesses in

violates assumptions of measurement.

current evaluation methods and tools, improvements can be made that may reduce inherent bias in qualitative evaluations. The United States Forest Service hazard rating system, the ISA Pacific Northwest Chapter TRACE program, and the ISA ordinal tree risk rating scales are examples of instruments currently in use to determine tree risk. They assign a score to three factors: (i.e. size of part, potential of that part to fail, and target) and then combine the scores to derive a risk rating.

Despite the prevalence of their use in the

After a review of five ordinal rating scales, four measurement issues were identified that should be of concern to all within our profession. These are: (1) the use of category designations as mathematical representations, (2) the multiple concerns with the size of part classification, (3) the limited interpretation of risk, and (4) the range compression that occurs when the composite risk rating is determined.

1. Misapplication of Category Designations

field, the lack of empirical support for these

Depending on the ordinal system used, one

instruments is concerning. Moreover, the

to five points are assigned to each of the

interpretations drawn from these tools are often times accepted independent of any

(Continued on page 34)

(Continued from page 33)

number from a category representation to a mathematical one, which is a measurement

three factors mentioned earlier. The ISA system (Clark and Matheny), shown above in Table 1, assigns one to four points to each of the three factors. The composite risk rating

error.

2. Multiple Concerns Regarding the Tree Part Classification

is derived by adding the three factor scores

Each ordinal rating scale requires the

together to obtain a number from three to

assessor to assign a number to the size of

twelve. Higher scores are assumed to

the part that is most likely to fail. As defined

represent greater risk.

by the ordinal rating systems, larger parts

The tree risk rating scales that are used are considered ordinal scales in which numbers represent categories or rank. The numbers do not represent quantities. In other words, their assignment does not equal a mathematical relationship. They represent a group or range of data features. The practice of adding the individual category scores together to provide a composite risk rating oversimplifies the phenomenon of risk and suggests that simply adding categories together yields a valid quantification of comparative risk. It does not. Adding the individual scores changes the use of the

are given higher scores. This practice has inadvertently focused our attention on the larger parts of trees as sources of failures.

This is contrary to our understanding of the actual risk that may be present. Because of the greater number of smaller branches that exists in most trees, the potential for them to fail and cause harm on any average day is greater than the higher rated large parts.

The law of averages suggests that over the course of an inspection interval there is a greater chance of a significant small branch failing and causing harm than a larger branch. Cox (2009) identifies this as an

“Error in Comparative Rankings” which, in

a potential to fail within an inspection period.

this instance, means that higher risk ratings

In addition to these numerous failure

are actually given to features that have less

potentials, target presence and placement

likelihood of risk compared with others.

also fluctuates greatly over the inspection

Another concern regarding the size of part

period.

classification pertains to the categories’

The ordinal rating systems have the

exclusiveness and ranges. Exclusiveness is

profession selecting the single part most

required when features are categorized, that

likely to fail when a target is present within a

is, data points cannot belong to more than

defined inspection period. This methodology

one category within an attribute. This is an

constricts our understanding of risk by

issue specific to the ISA rating system.

negating the range of potential events that

For example, a six-inch tree part resides within two categories. This violates this assumption of exclusiveness. The presence of this methods violation allows assessor bias in the rating process. Finally, there appears to be no research to support the development of the size part category ranges for any of the ordinal rating systems evaluated. This is particularly problematic given the emphasis on higher scores in the ratings and the potential for error that this introduces.

3. Constricted Understanding of Risk One of the complicating factors particular to tree risk assessments is the large number of variables that can contribute to risk

could actually occur.

4. Range Compression In all of the ordinal rating systems it is possible that tree parts with obvious differences in risk can be assigned the same risk rating. Using the ISA system as an example, a five-inch branch that has a severe potential to fail in a constant use area has the same rating as a thirty-two inch branch with a low potential to fail in a constant use area. Both scenarios have a rating of “9”, but the smaller branch has the most immediate risk associated with it. Cox (2009) defines this error as an example of “range compression” that is, an identical rating is assigned to quantitatively very different risks.

determination. Site, tree structure and

An additional example of range compression

environmental factors are the three broad

is that a significant small branch can never

categories that we must consider. However,

have a composite risk rating greater than

within each of these three main categories

nine (9) on the ISA’s twelve-point scale, ten

are dozens of additional variables that

(10) on the TRACE twelve-point scale and

contribute to risk assessment outcomes.

eight (8) on the USFS ten-point scale. There

Many of these variables place fluctuating

are numerous tree-related fatality and injury

stresses on the tree over time—affecting

cases that involve a branch five or six inches

different parts of the tree at different times

in diameter. All of the ordinal rating systems

and intensities. Multiple parts on a tree have

(Continued on page 36)

(1) eliminating the size of part factor and

(Continued from page 35)

making it an element of determining fail to capture the risk associated with tree parts that have the higher probability of failing by placing greater weight on the larger parts, which, in comparison, have a lower frequency of failures.

consequences, (2) evaluating the likelihood of failure and likelihood of striking a target as independent processes of each other, and (3) providing for the assessment of multiple

Discussion

tree parts and targets.

Within the arboricultural profession, the understanding of the concepts of tree risk are evolving and becoming more refined.

The LANTRA Professional Tree Assessment Qualification, the recent release of the ISA’s Tree Risk Assessment BMP

In litigation, risk trees are most often viewed in terms of absolutes—the tree part was either a hazard or not. However, as we all know, risk is about uncertainty and the arborist profession falls prey to developing poor policies or

and the launch of the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification serve as three examples where this evolution is providing an opportunity for

misinterpreted

TRAQ, as an example, is not without its flaws, but it addresses some of the bias inherent in the ordinal rating systems

arborists, consultants and Municipal Tree Officers

conclusions when thinking about tree risk in absolutes.

In many failure litigation cases, consultants are willing to assign a post-failure risk

to enhance their understanding of this

understanding to the pre-failure tree. In

complex topic. Past instruments, though

many of these instances, unless very strong

flawed, have provided important initial

visually overt defects are present, the expert

insights into tree risk assessments.

treads dangerously close to being an

TRAQ, as an example, is not without its flaws. Without a method of quantification, “categorizations of relative severity cannot necessarily be made objectively – independent of subjective risk attitudes – for uncertain consequences” (Cox, 2013).

However, TRAQ addresses some of the bias inherent in the ordinal rating systems by:

advocate for the attorney rather than being an impartial expert by assigning higher ordinal ratings than would have been assigned before the failure. As professionals, we have the difficult task of assigning risk ratings to a biological feature with potentially dozens of variables at play.

It is rare to have a tree that can be considered a hazard in absolute terms.

The purpose of this discussion is not to diminish the expertise or contributions of the

instrument developers, rather the concepts

Cox, Louis A, 2009. Risk Analysis of Complex

presented here are to afford balance in the

and Uncertain Systems, International Series in

assessment process. Instruments will always

Operations Research and Management

generate data, but it is the role of the

Systems, Springer Books, London, United

assessor to make interpretations from

Kingdom.

measurements. An overreliance on the numbers generated from the use of these scales may skew the understandings of risk.

Given the qualitative nature of our rating systems, arborists must base their interpretations on findings from multiple

Dunster, Julian, 2009. Tree Risk Assessment in Urban Areas and the Urban/Rural Interface: Course Manual. Pacific Northwest Chapter, International Society of Arboriculture, Silverton, Oregon.

instruments. In this way, the professions

Matheny, N. and Clark, J, 1994, A

individual and collective understanding of

Photographic Guide to the Evaluation of

risk will mature.

Hazard Trees in Urban Areas. Second Edition.

Citations: Albers, J. 2002. Urban Tree Risk Management: A Community Guide to Program Design and Implementation. USDA Forest Service

International Society of Arboriculture, Savoy, Illinois.

Tabachnick, B.G. & Fidele, L.S. (2007). Using Multivariate Statistics, 5th ed. Pearson Education, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts.

An axe to grind, Pg.38

Well it’s that time again and my, what a time it’s been.

This edition’s fungal curio worth watching out for is juniper-hawthorn rust, caused by the delightfully named Gymnosporangium clavariiforme. The fruiting bodies can be really quite beautiful when seen in great numbers, earning them the formidable name of ‘tongues of fire’. However, this enigmatic Bella Donna of fungi is parasitic on both juniper and hawthorn and can have serious consequences for both species.

The intriguing life cycle of G. clavariiforme begins therefore with our wild juniper. Spores infect juniper in mid-summer, causing branches to enlarge. From these during wet weather in the following spring, orange fungal growths known fantastically as ‘telial horns’ emerge, which produce vast quantities of spores, allowing infections to spread for several miles through the air. These growths will dry out, but are able to re-grow if more wet weather occurs, extending the sporolation period.

All Gymnosporangium species are heteroecious, which means they need two different hosts to complete their life cycle. The primary host is almost exclusively a species of juniper, while the secondary hosts are all members of the Rosaceae family, including quince, apple, rowan, pear and amelanchier. G. clavariiforme is exclusive to hawthorn, meaning that if these fruiting bodies are seen on a juniper, it necessarily follows that somewhere nearby is a hawthorn suffering from rust.

Spores will infect hawthorn in the early blossom stage, entering the leaf and fruit tissues. Yellow spots will appear on leaves in around 2 -3 weeks, which develop into round, red, swollen galls.

Later, rust will be seen on the fruit, which will often become deformed and useless. Spores are then released from the underside of leaves in summer, which then go on to re-infect nearby junipers, starting the cycle all over again. Both species can suffer as a result, leading to die-back of branches and death in extreme cases.

Fig. 1: Major die-back on juniper

An axe to grind, Pg.39

Control of all Gymnosporangium species is difficult.

Fungicides can be used on fruit trees, but once spots are seen on leaves it is already too late to treat infections. As both species are needed for the Fig. 2: Fruiting bodies as seen on hawthorn fungus to reproduce, one obvious control method would be to remove as many nearby junipers as possible to break the infection cycle, depending of course upon which trees you value most! While this may be possible in orchard situations, it might not be a popular solution with the old lady next door. However, there are resistant trees available, so all is not lost. Either way if you see these galls grab your camera, they’re an excellent photo opportunity!

Chris Parker.

For more background reading I recommend the following website. http://www.naturespot.org.uk/ species/tongues-fire Cheers!

Fig. 3: ‘Telial horns’, or ‘tongues of fire!’

An axe to grind, Pg.40

A fresh outbreak of the deadly Dutch Elm Disease is threatening to wipe out the city's national collection of the endangered trees.

Five elms riddled with the disease are set to be felled while further “sporadic outbreaks” across Brighton and Hove continue to be monitored.

The disease, which is spread by the elm bark beetle, wiped out some 25 million elms across the UK in the 20th century.

But thanks to the protection offered by the South Downs and English Channel and the skill of local arboriculturists, many of the city's trees survived.

Brighton and Hove is now home to the only substantial collection of the species in the country and as a result was awarded national collection status in the 1990s.

However, the remaining 17,000 elms are now under threat following the fresh outbreak.

Four diseased trees in the Old Steine Gardens are set to be destroyed next week.

He said: “It is more than likely down to imported fuel logs or an elm tree that is already infected by elm bark beetles which carry the fungus.”

“We implore local residents and businesses to contact our parks department immediately if they suspect they have elm timber as logs or a suspect elm tree on their property.

“This is urgent.”

The 25 metre-high elm which was felled on the Falmer Campus is thought to have been around 150-years-old.

Andy Jupp, the university's assistant director of estates and facilities management, said: “It's a real shame but prompt action to destroy infected trees is the only way to limit the spread of this devastating fungal disease.

“The fact that many excellent specimens survive on campus including some of the largest English elms remaining in the UK - is largely due to the assiduous efforts of estates staff over the last 40 years to remove any infected trees as soon as they show symptoms of the disease.

A further diseased elm has also already been felled on the University of Sussex's Falmer “In the long term our actions this Campus. week will help to protect the other elms on campus.”

Brighton and Hove City Council environment committee chairFor more details visit brightonman, Pete West, described the hove.gov.uk/elmdisease. outbreak as “extremely worrying”.

An axe to grind, Pg.41

Thousand-year-old city tree “European Tree of the Year” An elm in the middle of the Bulgarian city of Sliven which is thought to be over a thousand years old has has won an online poll to find the European Tree of the Year.

The contest, organised for the fourth year by the Czech Environmental Partnership (Nadace Partnerství, NAP), pitted trees from ten European countries together, with the Bulgarian entry taking nearly half of the nearly 160,000 votes cast across the continent.

Scotland's entry, Niel Gow's Oak in Perthshire, came seventh, Ireland's Birr Castle Grey Poplar in Co Offaly came eighth, and Wales' Oak at the Gate of the Dead, Wrexham, was ninth.

Each of the ten had already won a national heritage tree contest.

Explaining the contest, its website said: "We are not searching for the oldest, the tallest, the biggest, the most beautiful or the rarest of trees. We are searching for the most lovable tree, a tree with a story that can bring the community together."

Known simply as The Old Elm (Stariyat Bryast), the field elm (Ulmus minor) serves as a symbol of Sliven in eastern Bulgaria, and features on its coat of arms. It is frequently The award ceremony took place at the Euevaluated by city authorities and its base ropean Parliament building in Brussels on reinforced.

Wednesday 19 March.

An axe to grind, Pg.42

In this, the first part of a two part article, Kenton Rogers takes a look at what actually makes up the “Urban Forest” . Above is a picture of Torbay, the site of the UK’s first full iTree survey undertaken by Kenton and his company, Treeconomics.

C

oming from a forestry background, Urban Forestry is a term I use a lot and one which many of us will be familiar with. But what do we actually mean when we talk about the urban forest?

Understanding the definitions involved is important because people have different interpretations of what constitutes the urban forest. Do we mean the street trees? Or a specific woodland in an urban area? Do we include shrubs, lawns or parks?

There also appears to be some difficulty in defining what is ‘urban’. As yet, there is no international agreement on the defining characteristics of the urban habitat (cited in the recent UK National Ecosystem Assessment). The Office of National Statistics in the UK simply classifies ‘urban’ as contiguous areas of

settlement with a population of 10,000 people.

We also need to be mindful that for many people even the very term ‘Urban Forest’ seems oxymoronic, the use of two apparently contradictory terms put together. They ask, “How can an area be simultaneously urban, and forest?”. Well, in my view it can, and this is why...

Broadly speaking, there are two main interpretations of what constitutes an ‘urban forest’. The first looks at the sum of all urban trees; including those situated in parks or in streets, on both private and public land, and considers orchards, hedges and other green spaces across the urban area under consideration to collectively make up an ‘urban forest’ (See Grey and Denke’s Urban Forestry for example). In

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Konijnendiijk’s ‘Defining Urban Forestry’ paper this is called the ‘broad’ definition.

The second refers to urban forest as individual units within an urban area and in Evans’s Forest Handbook is described thus, ‘Urban forests can be defined by their placement in or near urban areas’.

This second definition refers to distinct areas of woodland within an urban area as urban forest, the ‘narrow’ definition.

Although not technically incorrect, in my view this is a less helpful concept as it separates out the ‘urban’ from the ‘forest’ and oversimplifies the spatial relationship between the two, implying that they can indeed by separated.

I much prefer the definition given by Sands (in Forestry in a Global Context 2005), who takes ‘the trees found in streets, municipal parks, gardens and reserves, golf courses, cemeteries, around streams, on private property, on catchments, in greenbelts and indeed almost everywhere‘ to make up the urban forest. He goes on to state ‘The urban forest is the ecosystem containing all of the trees, plants and associated animals in the urban environment, both in and around the city’.

This definition is much more holistic and looks at the urban forest in the same way that a traditional forest might be considered. It also introduces it as an ecosystem too. Again, ecosystems are an important part of the urban fabric, yet they are often (incorrectly) viewed by the general populace to be something separate from ‘urban’. Something perhaps one might pop into the car and drive off to and visit out of town.

Deneke (in Grey and Deneke’s Urban Forestry) goes so far as to say that ‘cities are forests’ and by United Nations definition - Land with tree crown cover of more than 10 percent and area of more than 0.5 hectares - most cities and urban areas could indeed be classed as forests.

It has been argued that perhaps we should stop thinking about the trees in our towns and actually consider towns in our forests instead. This is by no means a new ideal, and visitors to 17th century Amsterdam often remarked that they could not tell if they were in a city or a forest.

John Evelyn visited in 1641 and was very impressed by the quarter known as Keisers-Graft ‘which appears to be a Citty in a Wood, through the goodly ranges of stately and umbrageous Lime trees, exactly planted before each mans doore’ .

Considering the broad definition of urban forest and starting to think about the towns in our forests, brings trees and other components of the natural environment to the fore. This is important because its the urban forest which makes our towns and cities livable places. Its is especially the case when we consider future changes in our climate, which will be felt first and foremost in or urban areas.

The benefits provided by the urban forest are many and are well documented. Trees filter pollutants, reduce the urban heat island effect, provide aesthetic interest, improve health and can even reduce crime or encourage greater consumer spending. These benefits are also provided simultaneously and at relatively low cost. The benefits are even more pronounced in urban areas, because the urban environment is where most people live.

The number of people living in Urban areas of the UK for instance is currently estimated at around 80%, or 44 million people (ONS 2005). Globally, over 50% of the worlds population now live in cities and this is expected to rise to 60% by 2030 going by United Nations estimates.

Yet trees in urban areas are often under the greatest pressure (from increased summer temperatures and pollution (Continued on page 44)

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Few doubt that individual tree management is important in our towns levels to compacted soils, intensive and cities but if we completely neglect the development, salt contamination and wider ‘urban forest’ view we inevitably vandalism to name a few). miss the bigger picture. Its much overused but the old saying ‘seeing the Consequently, in the UK at least, tree wood for the trees’ is a both a wise and numbers have been steadily declining timely one for urban foresters, tree (Britt and mangers, Johnston planners 2008) in and other our urban allied The Urban Forest; Reigate pictured from the North Downs.

(Continued from page 43)

areas. However, with increasing urbanisation there is an ever increasing need to incorporate the role of the urban forest into long term planning and climate adaptation strategies, in order to improve the environmental quality of where we live and work.

Yet, we know very little about our urban forests, how they are growing, what they are composed of, the tree species, biodiversity and age classes for example.

Generally, the majority of Local Authorities (LA’s) in the UK have scant information (Britt and Johnston 2008) of the tree stock and this is normally only on public realm trees.

professions.

Next time I will be looking at one of the simplest ways to start investigating the urban forest, analysing canopy cover.

Kenton Rogers is a Chartered Forester and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. His current projects include Treeconomics, a social enterprise that engages with public bodies, research organisations communities and commercial businesses to highlight the value of trees.

Email kenton@treeconomics.co.uk

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Now Then

Tree Strategy Or Street Tragedy?

All work courtesy of the National Grid

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photosynthesis and growth up to 2050%, according to the species, plant age and water and nutrients availability.

Existing data needed to understand the adaptation of photosynthetic apparatus to CO2 increase are still lacking, above all when it acts in interactions with other climate parameters, like temperature and water availability. For this reason, understanding how What we should expect from research results? the increase of temperature will modulate plant responses to increased rban vegetation is often atmospheric CO2 has been described as a subjected to extreme priority for the research on climate change. environmental conditions related Trees will be affected by this rapid climate not only to higher atmospheric pollution change because of their long life span and levels caused by traffic and other the slow rate of genetic adaption. With a anthropogenic emissions, but also to limiting proactive management strategy (i.e. acting in water availability and higher temperatures, advance of a future situation), urban forests typical of the city's microclimate. Due to the and trees have strong potentials to mitigate negative future prospects for the urban the impact of global warming such as environment caused by climate change extreme heat waves. (higher CO2 concentration, higher What is currently known temperature and changes in rainfall pattern), there is a need to monitor and manage proAccording to the Intergovernmental Panel actively urban greening and peri-urban on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment forests. Urban trees provide a unique Report (2013) the surface air temperature opportunity to address both climate change will increase 1-2.5째C by the end of this mitigation and adaptation but we clearly century. Drought spells are predicted to be need more basic data about urban trees, and most significant not only in the urban green in general. Research projects Mediterranean-like climates and this will have shown that, in the short time, the strongly influence survival and growth of exposition to high CO2 levels, can reduce the newly planted trees and will probably affect stomatal conductance and might increase the development of diseases and tree pest

U

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resistance. Not only are the short-term effects important, but also the long-term impact on growth has to be considered in selecting planting material. Selecting trees that use water efficiently without the need for frequent watering or irrigation is one way to make your landscape more tolerant to drought and is the best long-term solution to a healthier, low-maintenance landscape. In this scenario possible adaptation measures include changes to establishment practice and tree management, better matching of species to site, both under current and future climates, and the planting of non-native species and provenances in anticipation of climate change (Ghannoun and Way, 2011).

However, local provenances may not be able to adapt to a changing climate, particularly given the rate of change predicted. Sourcing planting stock from regions with a current climate similar to that predicted for the future may provide one option, although care must be taken to ensure that suitable provenances are selected which are not at risk from, for example, spring frost damage as a result of early flushing (McCarthy et al., 2010).

capacity to avoid the generation of, and then reduce various Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) by complementing the functions of primary antioxidant defenses. Clear guidance is needed for local authorities and other practitioners on how best to manage public urban green spaces in order to respond to climate change. Therefore, as a proactive measure, urban foresters should consider using species suitable for future climates in current urban greening projects.

What research should aim to

Research should aim to develop basic knowledge which could be useful to deal with practical issues in the crucial field of the role (s) of trees in improving environmental conditions in our cities, with special regard to the foreseen environmental scenarios due to climatic change. We know that in the future CO2 and O3 air concentrations will rise, temperatures will be higher and water availability will change. So doing, criteria and strategies for the selection of ornamental woody species to display in the future cities must be clearly defined. The intimate mechanisms of plant response to environmental oxidative stress should be elucidated, with special The issue is also regard to secondary complex: environmental metabolism and the factors can significantly “urban foresters should consider transduction of the influence the chemistry using species suitable for future stress dependent signal. of the atmosphere. VOCs The analysis of plant climates in current urban emitted by plants mix in physiological the atmosphere with greening projects� performances and stress anthropogenic gaseous indicators in the urban compounds, and environment, both in the depending on the current conditions and under simulated compositions of these compounds positive or future scenarios will allow to evaluate the negative effects on tropospheric O3 and contribution of urban forests to improve the particulate concentrations in the atmosphere quality of life, by the assessment of the may occur, through complex photochemical ecosystem service of air quality improvement reactions not yet fully studied. In summary, provided by urban green. the functional roles of secondary metabolites Micrometeorological investigations with in plant-environment interactions is to be re(Continued on page 48) visited taking into great account their

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(Continued from page 47)

highly innovative measurement techniques (eddy covariance) will clarify plant/ atmosphere relationship as well as energy fluxes in urban and suburban reference selected sites. In addition, they will carve previously unexplored aspects of the interactions between urban vegetation and atmosphere, i.e. flux determination of VOCs emitted by urban vegetation, their oxidation products, and their fate in the atmosphere which impacts the concentration of tropospheric ozone. This will allow using the model for urban planning purposes, therefore it could be widely accessed by the scientific community and beyond. Research results may therefore be useful to stakeholders, such as municipal managers and city planners, to establish the best management strategies to improve the pollutants sink capacity and climate change mitigation of urban vegetation in future climatic conditions.

Francesco Ferrini and Alessio Fini

Citations

Ghannoun, O. e D.A. Way. 2011. On the role of ecological adaptation and geographic distribution in the response of trees to climate change. Tree Physiology, 31:1273-1276.

IPCC, 2013. Climate Change 2013. The Physical Science Basis. Working Group I Contribution to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

McCarthy, M.P., M.J. Best, R.A. Betts. 2010.

Climate change in cities due to global warming and urban effects. Geophysical Research Letters, 37. doi:10.1029/2010GL042845

Department of Agrifood Production and Environmental Sciences – University of Florence (Italy)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=d260CmZoxj8

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Case of the Month, extracted from the RTPI Networks Newsletter; NAPE News - April 2014 .

Our grateful thanks to Portia Howe and Gareth Hare of Lichfield District Council for bringing this item to our attention. The below article is reproduced unaltered for your information and the enforcement officers details have been left in just in case you wish to make a comment on this directly to him.

Case 1 Felling of an Ash tree protected by a TPO to the rear of a residential property. No application was granted or sub-mitted for the works, and following investigation the management company who looked after the property; the company who accepted the quote to carry out the works; and the tree surgeon who carried out the works, were all interviewed under caution and the offence borne out, and admitted by all.

At this stage the Council had a case to take to court, but before that was agreed the management company offered to replace the tree, and also provide funding to plant trees

Case 2 Felling of a Silver Birch tree to the front of a site being redeveloped for housing. No application was submitted or agreed for the works, and following investigation the developer was interviewed under caution. In this instance the defence that the tree was dangerous was argued, although a statement taken by a witness suggested other-wise. The fact that a brick wall had been erected in the location of the felled tree all seen by the witness to take place within an hour of the

throughout the District. This funding was informally agreed following assessing the costs of taking the case to Court, and an estimated fine imposed by the Court having regard to the facts of the case.

In this instance, the Council's budget for tree planting was given ÂŁ3000 by the offenders for tree planting throughout the District. As a result the case was not brought to court.

Now the offenders suggested this undertaking to the Council, and although no formal undertaking was agreed (since having taken legal advice undertakings are not enforceable) the funding was provided without delay from the offenders.

tree being felled, indicated that the reason for felling the tree did not appear as what the developer suggested. Following this interview further works to other trees on the site had been discovered.

As above, the developer agreed to fund the Council for planting trees not only within the District to avoid going to Court, but in the site also since it was being redeveloped for housing. In this instance, the developer provided ÂŁ11000.

(Continued on page 50)

(Continued from page 49)

Summary Now both cases don't take away the seriousness of felling a protected tree without permission. However, if the harm mitigated by the felling can be offset by replacement planting, and funding for trees to be planted throughout the District to reinforce the Council's commitment to trees, I thought this course of action is something to be considered, of course on a case to case basis. One benefit of this is the costs involved for all sides involved in bringing the case to court such as Officer time, Court time, and removes the unknown result that will be the Court's decision.

Commentary Stuck for some tree planting funds, folks? It seems that our planning colleagues have come up with a novel idea to supplement the council coffers and bag a bunch of new trees into the bargain. Unfortunately I'm left feeling uneasy about this way to 'avoid the courts'.

Firstly I'm not sure there are provisions in the act and regulations that provide for the Council accepting money in order to waive a prosecution in relation to a TPO infringement. Whilst we should all take mitigating and aggravating circumstances into account, and whether the prosecution would be in the public good, sadly weighing 'the public good' of a successful prosecution against a different 'public good' of more funds for tree planting or the cost of officer time doesn't sit well with me. I think there is a strong possibility of the council being exposed to criticism in taking money particularly from a developer - as a way to avoid the courts. Were I a householder being threatened with court action for a TPO

Both cases involved negotiations with the offenders, me as the Council's Enforcement Officer, and the Council's Arboricultural Manager. I think the prospect of criminal proceedings being brought was enough to result in the funding being provided. Also, in the case of the developer who had not been in this situation before, it made them aware of the seriousness of what they had done, and I think in future proper procedures ie: applying for planning permission first, will be followed.

John Macauley, Planning Enforcement Officer, Shepway District Council

offence I would certainly be pointing a finger and saying 'they paid cash to be let off'.

Negotiating a cash sum or tree planting in kind also leads to the question - how much for this offence? ... in comparison to this one ...? It is not our place as the local authority to decide how much an offence is 'worth'. From my own experience it can be galling that the fine goes into the nation's pocket rather than coming back to our own authority, but that is how it is. And yes, its possible that you would get more out of someone who had committed an offence through negotiation than you would see in a fine. Racking up the cash cost certainly makes us feel good - justice feels as though its been done - but in fact I don't think justice or the TPO legislation is well served by this type of settlement.

Firstly, the point of magistrates court is that those deciding on the matter are independent. This is actually fairer on the person who has committed the offence - as the magistrates may actually consider that the council does not have a strong case.

Ethically, to me, this is important.

Administering the TPO regulations should be transparent and even-handed. People have the right to have an appeal independently assessed. People should also have an offence considered independently if the situation is so serious it merits prosecution. And if it merits a 'settlement' I would imagine it is serious too.

Settling this way could lead to the tree surgeon, developer or individual feeling 'they got away with it' even if they had to pay out a reasonable sum. Are they less likely to do it again? I don't know. But I know the experience of a PACE interview, getting a solicitor, going to court and standing before the magistrates can have a hard hitting effect and supports the TPO regulations. A successful prosecution can be announced in the press, repeated to local contractors as a warning and tells developers that your authority does have teeth. Going forward with a prosecution can make a company look carefully at its own chain of command and responsibility. I'm aware of a site manager who was swiftly sent on his way after taking down protective fencing and directing all the plant between TPO trees because it was 'quicker' once the regional director was invited to a PACE interview.

And finally I have to ask - why 'avoid the courts'? Its not to my benefit to avoid the court. It can be a struggle to get council solicitors to take the risk of a prosecution but that's not a reason to try and avoid it if after consideration the prosecution is in the public interest. The only person who benefits from avoiding court is the offender obviously, they must think so if they are prepared to pay more to the council than they would likely pay in a fine. I wasn't aware we were having a season of magnanimity in the arb world!

Does anyone else have thoughts on this?

Have you tried it - did it work? Email your view; enquiries@mtoa.co.uk

Inspector rejects appeal to fell 300-year-old oak implicated in garage subsidence

Image: FLDRA

An appeal seeking to fell a mature English oak tree in a north London garden has been rejected by the Planning Inspectorate.

The tree stands by the garage in a communal garden near a conservation area in the London Borough of Enfield and is subject to a tree preservation order.

The inspector noted that it was in reasonable health, visible from a public highway, that it had high amenity and biodiversity value, and that a local residents' association had launched a petition to save it.

It was also judged that, though tree was likely to have caused a material effect on the property, the level of cracking was "not significant".

While the appellant may pursue a claim against the council to reinstate or underpin the garage, this was judged to be insufficient reason to permit the loss of the tree - the felling of which could anyway cause additional problems through "heave", the inspector noted.

The original application to fell was rejected by the council last year. The appellant was Nicholas Meyer of arboricultural consultancy and mitigation service OCA UK, who also made the original application in April 2013, rejected by the borough

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On 1st April (no joke) 15 riders decked-out in the usual bright canary-yellow Ride for Research tshirts set off from Birmingham University.

The ride was ahead of the ICF’s 2014 Trees, People and the Built Environment II (TPBE) conference billed as the largest ever gathering of environment professionals in the UK. After an unfortunate stalled start caused by two exploding inner-tubes with Sharon Hosegood’s bike, we set off at a brisk pace, up hills and down Birmingham’s back alleys and green corridors that extend throughout the city. With blackthorn trees in flower and bright sunshine, the day’s news item about Saharan Desert dust and high European industrial pollution levels seemed a long way off. Yet at the back of our minds, and thinking about the TPBE conference, we realised how important it is to ‘green’ our high tech industrial world.

Reaching the first school – Woodgate Primary – early we waited around the corner in anticipation of a whole school turn-out and an enthusiastic welcome. We were not to be disappointed. Meanwhile, after a wheel change Sharon re-joined us. Pretending that we had just arrived hot and a bit sweaty we

rode into the school to be greeted by over 300 cheering kids eager to plant a tree. Russell Ball did his usual excellent (tree benefits) talk and children replied with great answers: each one rewarded with a ‘Trees are Good’ tattoo. The teachers, however, did not think this was such a good idea and were duly told off until it was explained these are only temporary transfers!! During the lively debate one school child even asked if we could stop Climate Change. With lots of help from little hands a sweetgum was duly planted and the Grow Tree Grow chant was sang out in unison from the surrounding throng of children. After the chant I could have sworn I saw a little green bud open close to the stem.

It was then off to the next school via the famous Chocolate factory in Bourneville.

There was brief photo-call outside the chocolate factory (no sign of Charlie) and Peter Wharton kindly nipped into their shop for some cream eggs. On arrival at Allens Croft Primary school via another lovely riparian cycle way we hastily ate said eggs.

The school had a 15 plus knowledgeable ecoclub where many questions about trees were debated by a switched-on group kids. During the debate, one child proudly announced that trees and the oxygen they produce keep him alive. Needless to say, more deserved Trees are Good tattoos were given out! A red oak was planted and Grow tree Grow chanted with muddy fingers waving at the tree. This

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tree will add to the school’s woodland play area that the kids have been actively involved in.

A hearty packed lunch was had at Cannon Hill Park, with a plenty of lively chatter amongst the riders set amongst distant views of to the new Edgbaston Cricket ground.

Keeping to our time schedule we headed back to the University to plant a Mongolian Lime with Julian Evans ICF President. When we arrived, however, it had already been planted! But in true journalistic style the usual silver-spade snap-shots were taken.

It was a fabulous day out in the Birmingham sunshine, the children as usual were the stars of the show. I feel heartened by their enthusiasm, tree knowledge and environmental awareness.

Let’s hope a few of them decide that an arboricultural career is for them.

And the last word from Professor Julian Evans OBE FICFor, ICF President: "Research underpins successful and sustainable practice. Compared with other land based sectors, funds devoted to tree and forestry research are small, yet the demands from the increasing pest and disease burden trees face, from climate change, from the public's enjoyment of trees

and woodlands, to name but three, all bring challenges. The remarkably successful Ride for Research in raising funds for the young charity Fund4Trees is an exemplar of what can be achieved and what can be a real help.

The Institute of Chartered Foresters is and remains an absolutely core supporter."

See you on our next Ride – that will tour through Windsor Great Park – on Sunday 14th September to coincide with the AA Conference in Egham.

Thanks to Keith Burgess (Amey) and David O’Driscoll (University of Birmingham) for organising the tree planting at the schools and University respectively; and last but not least our key-man in Birmingham for making it happen – Pete Wharton The event sponsors; Acorn Environmental Management Group, Capita, Symbiosis, TreeLife and especially Barcham Trees for the trees themselves.

Jonathan Mills: Senior Arboriculturist Capita Riders pictured l-r: James White; Andy Allison; Russell Horsey; Richard Jones; Jonathan Mills; Sharon Hosegood; Ben Southhall; Robin Grimes; Richard Round; Lesley Adams; Russell Ball; Alex Laver and Pete Wharton . Mick Boddy was taking the shot!

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Trees in the Hardscape Making Space for Urban Trees Below & Above Ground Announcing another great MTOA Seminar.

When and where? 23rd June 2014 at the Hudson Room, City of York Council Customer Centre, West Offices, Station Rise, York, YO1 6GA (click here for the map location) The MTOA continue to bring you must attend seminars at treemendous value, please see below for the details.

The itinerary for the day is;

8.45 – 9.30

Registration

9.30 – 9.55

Moray Simpson (MTOA)

9.55 – 10.35

Martin Gammie (TDAG)

10.35 –10.55

Roy Partington (Infragreen)

10.55 – 11.15

Comfort Break

11.15 – 11.55

Lorna Davis (Welsh Water)

11.55 – 12.40

Steve Chatwin Grindley (Deeproot)

12.40 – 13.35

Lunch

13.35 – 14.20

Dr Roland Ennos (University of Hull)

14.20 – 14.50

Glen Gorner (Leeds City Council)

14.50 – 15.05

Professor Alan Simson (Leeds Metropolitan University)

15.05 – 15.25

Comfort Break

15.25 – 16.10

Dean Bowie (GreenBlue)

16.10 – 16.30

Summing Up & Final Questions

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PROGRAMME MAY CHANGE ON THE DAY TO SUIT THE SPEAKERS PRESENTATIONS. All this for only £20, yes £20.00 for MTOA, GYTOG, CAS and ISA members. Non- members £65 (dependant on space availability), bookable in advance by contacting Jean McDermott on 0121 556 8302, enquiries@mtoa.co.uk or write to MTOA, 148 Hydes Road, Wednesbury, West Midlands, WS10 0DR.

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And finally.

I would like to on behalf of the MTOA wish Ken Simmons, Forestry Manager of Warwickshire County Council all the very best indeed on his retirement.

He not only has served them for best part of 40 years but has served the MTOA pretty much from day one and will be badly missed, good volunteers are hard to find.

Ken is pictured left at the recent MTOA meeting “Hedging your Bets” winning the raffle, and I hope he takes his lucky streak with him into his next venture—I am certain we will hear from Ken again.

Mac

Advertising in the Axe, members go free!

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