(Common Urban Trees and the Benefits They Bring, n.d.)
1. Horse chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum) 2. English oak (Quercus robur)
The council will improve the quality, quantity and variety of the city’s tree stock by implementing a long-term management plan. This management plan will, wherever practicable, ensure a commitment to the residents and visitors of Portsmouth to enhance the city’s trees and will:
ensure public safety as its highest priority
consult local residents prior to major tree works
inspect mature trees annually, carry out remedial works as necessary to the relevant British Standards or current best practice guidelines
log all data to build up a history of each tree, and identify each tree on a digital mapping system
continue the maintenance programme designed to reduce the problems commonly encountered with urban trees, such as light loss, leaf litter and low branches
introduce a risk management policy for trees in relation to buildings so that there are clear guidelines for dealing with subsidence claims relating to trees
use the most modern available equipment to assist in the inspection and surveying of trees
wherever possible plant new trees as a replacement for trees which have been removed
constantly seek out new planting sites
plant species appropriate for the location, balancing native and ornamental species
provide limited free advice to the public on tree-related matters
provide details of proposed maintenance for the year ahead (storms make this difficult to adhere to).
Raising awareness of city trees
The charter undertakes to promote an awareness, understanding and appreciation of trees by:
providing maps identifying the major trees and interpretation boards in city parks
promoting guided walks through the city’s parks and open spaces and publish information leaflets on guided walks, pests and diseases that may affect trees in the city
establishing partnerships with schools, voluntary and environmental groups to promote the importance of trees in the environment
using funding opportunities, such as grants and sponsorship, to enhance the environment
recycling all green waste arising from city council tree works
providing free advice to groups or individuals on suitable trees species for planting.
You can help by:
keeping us informed of all proposed planting
helping water newly planted trees near your own property
suggesting new sites for tree planting
reporting any damage to city’s trees.
(Portsmouth City Council, 2022)
Reading about all of these points I see the importance of involving the people in the city to create the space and take care of it while it grows. It is important to plant new trees and the site I chose is an unused site that could need some greenery.
In the pdf: https://portsmouth.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Tree-doc-web-ready-accessible.pdf I read that there are around 86,000 trees in Portsmouth. That is a good number of trees that could be increased even more in the residential areas.
I also read an article about some of the common trees in urban areas in the UK. The species are:
Plane tree (Platanus x hispanica)
Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)
English oak (Quercus robur)
Silver birch (Betula pendula)
Horse chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum)
The Two trees I found the most interesting and with the most benefit for animals were: Horse chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum) and English oak (Quercus robur).
Horse chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum):
"The horse chestnut tree is known for its glossy red-brown conkers. It can reach up to 40 metres and live for 300 years.
The species arrived in the British Isles from Turkey in the late sixteenth century and is now widespread in lowland areas across Britain and other parts of Europe.
It is also a popular street tree and a common sight in parks, large gardens and village greens.
In spring, horse chestnut trees produce tall, upright spikes of white flowers with pink or yellow blotches at the base of the petals.
The flowers provide a rich source of nectar and pollen to insects, particularly bees. The leaves are consumed by various caterpillars, which in turn are eaten by birds such as blue tits.
Once pollinated, each flower produces about four or five fruits. These spiky green capsules contain usually one conker (but sometimes two or three) which falls in autumn and is eaten by squirrels and any deer in the neighbourhood." (Common Urban Trees and the Benefits They Bring, n.d.)
English oak (Quercus robur):
"English oaks are the most common out of the five oak species in Britain. Only two are native species, although two or more are widely naturalised and many species occur in specialised collections.
The native tree grows quickly during the first hundred years and slows thereafter, reaching 40 metres in height.
Oak trees can live over a thousand years. They redirect their energy from their canopy into extending their lifespan and, as a result, shorten with age.
English oaks form a broad and spreading crown with sturdy branches beneath as they mature. The open canopy enables light to penetrate, allowing flowers such as primroses to grow below.
Oak trees are home to a rich biodiversity: they host and feed over 280 species of insects and birds. In urban areas, these include the caterpillar of the purple hairstreak butterfly (which feed on the leaves), marsh tits (which use the holes and crevices in the bark for nests) and bats (which may roost in old woodpecker holes).
In autumn, a layer of decaying leaves forms beneath the tree. This supports invertebrates, including the stag beetle, and many fungi.
Oak trees produce fruits commonly known as acorns. One tree can produce about 25 million acorns in its lifetime. However, it takes 40 years before an oak tree produces its first acorns and about 120 years before peak productivity.
Acorns are born on long stalks, a key characteristic that occurs only in this species and helps with identification. Each acorn contains only one seed." (Common Urban Trees and the Benefits They Bring, n.d.)
These two types of trees will be the ones planted on the site, both long-lived and with plenty of benefits for animals.
I read on Portsmouth councils webpage that there are both volunteers and organizations taking care of the existing trees. They mentioned (Colas UK Infrastructure Contractor | Highway & Airport Contractor, n.d.) and (The Tree Council, 2023). I thought that it would be good to use them for the growth of the trees in my design.
References:
Portsmouth City Council. (2022, March 7). Portsmouth tree charter - Portsmouth City Council. https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/leisure/wildlife-and-conservation/portsmouth-tree-charter/
Common urban trees and the benefits they bring. (n.d.). https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/uk-tree-identification.html
Colas UK Infrastructure Contractor | Highway & Airport Contractor. (n.d.). Colas. https://www.colas.co.uk/
The Tree Council. (2023, May 2). The Tree Council | Working together for the love of trees. https://treecouncil.org.uk/
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