July 2015

Building Resilience in Scotland’s Urban Tree Populations

This is the title of a 21 page report written by Andy Moffat and published yesterday on the ClimateXChange website. The report summarises research which explored how six Scottish cities were approaching the challenges and opportunities posed by a changing climate in respect of their trees and urban woodlands. Interviews were conducted with key personnel in order to understand what was being done, and what the constraints were to progress in building resilience. The research found that climate change is already making a small but significant impact on urban tree policy and practice, but the main drivers for change are the ageing tree populations and the risks posed by tree pests and diseases. In addition, financial opportunities are encouraging greater re-use of woody biomass generated during tree management activities. The major obstacles to greater adaptation are the lack of understanding of the importance of city trees across local authorities and the significant reduction in government funding. The report can be downloaded HERE.