Environmental Science students from the University and staff from Southampton City Council are undertaking a large-scale tree survey across Southampton to discover the benefits that trees provide to聽those聽living within the city.
Research has shown that trees can help to improve urban environments by reducing surface water flooding, improving air quality, maintaining comfortable summer temperatures and supporting wildlife, making cities like Southampton pleasant places to live.
can now put a practical value on the urban forest,聽with studies聽having already聽been carried out in cities such as London, Edinburgh and Torbay.
The Southampton i-Tree survey (from 11 July聽– 5 August) involves 11 University students, the Council, Treeconomics, and the Forestry Commission. The survey is collecting information on the current condition of trees and woodlands within the city. This information will help the City Council take聽appropriate steps聽to safeguard these important benefits.
Councillor Hammond, from Southampton City Council, said:
鈥淭rees don’t just look nice, but serve an important function in our city. They filter and clean our air, by removing many of the man-made pollutants that we breathe. The i-Tree study is an excellent opportunity to gain a better understanding of just how valuable they are to us, and why we should be taking greater care of them.鈥�
, from the University鈥檚 (颁贰厂),听蝉补颈诲:
鈥淯ndertaking the i-Tree inventory is giving our students an invaluable opportunity to apply their ecological survey, team-working and communication skills on a project that will contribute to better management of the city鈥檚 tree resources.鈥�
The survey聽involves taking measurements of trees in approximately 400 1/10-acre sample plots across Southampton. Information聽gathered聽includes: tree type, size, crown coverage and density, as well as聽overall health. These measurements will not harm the trees in any way and only trees within the respective plots will be measured.
If you would like to find out more about the survey, please contact Emma Mutch, i-Tree Project Coordinator, on Tel:聽+44(0)23 8059 5389 or i-tree@soton.ac.uk