Removal or retention of trees in an urban environment

There are various problems which are associated with trees that are growing in an urban environment. One of the major problems is where trees are growing on a plot of land that a property developer has bought and wishes to fill up every available square inch of that land with profitable building. What happens to the trees? Other problems that people have with growing trees in urban areas is where the tree is unsuitable for the location, for instance a sycamore tree that has been planted into a back garden and is now far too large, with the root structure actually impinging onto the neighbor’s property. So, the decision has to be made either to retain the trees or remove them.

Most people will probably think first about retaining as many trees as they possibly can. The consensus in Irish forestry, especially when it involves natural woodland, is to try and keep as many trees as can be kept. But there are several points that you should think about which showed help you to make your decision.

First you must decide if the trees are too old to maintain. Most of the time, when making decisions such as this, you need to hire in the help of a tree surgeon who be able to judge the age of the tree and if it is a danger. There’s no point in holding onto a tree that only has a short life expectancy. Next, you have to look at the size of the tree and make the decision as to whether the tree has grown too large. One of the biggest factors that are involved in large trees is if they are going to constitute a danger from falling branches or from the whole tree falling over. Also, very large trees can adversely effect the development from a planning point of view. Forestry in Ireland must take into account the danger element all the time, we have to decide whether the tree is going to prove to be dangerous.