As our cities continue to expand outwards, new developments arise as a result and thus land needs to be cleared and transformed for this purpose. The planning for any new development requires consideration of many different constraints, but by and large, the preservation of trees on development sites is rarely considered from the initial planning stages. Trees are often viewed as potential problems to the development, rather than opportunities or assets that can be used to improve the aesthetic and environmental value of an area. An arborist’s report is commonly completed as a legal requirement toward the end of the design phase for development, rather than guiding the site layout from the beginning of the project.
To achieve sustainable land development, a careful balance needs to be found between the removal and preservation of the existing trees on the land. It is clear that the community values trees given their contribution to the amenity and visual character of the local area alongside the environmental benefits they bring. Retaining trees on development sites is therefore a fine balance between sustaining that desired amenity and the economic development of the land. An arborist can determine the value that retaining a tree might provide to the overall value of a site.
Land development is, in of itself, a very disruptive process that has major impacts on the environment overall and therefore the retention of trees will be very difficult to achieve unless planned from the very outset of the projects beginning. Before even concept planning begins, a survey should be conducted to identify any trees that might provide value to a development site in some form.
The difficult part to assess consistently and objectively is the value of a tree’s amenity, heritage and environmental contribution to the land around it once development is completed. There is no doubt that the criteria developed in the past to assess these factors is highly subjective and provides inconsistent results, even when trained professionals undertake the assessment. Yet despite the inherent difficulties, some measure of the relative value of a tree or trees in consideration of these factors is necessary.
To ensure a balanced decision on tree retention, these values also need to be weighed up and considered together with a tree’s sustainability in the landscape. A measure of sustainability is important since it is an estimate of the relative length of time that that amenity and other values can be provided. The amenity value of a tree diminishes if it will only be maintained over a short time frame. Therefore, the sustainability of a tree in the landscape is an important part of the equation and has a clear relationship with those values.
