The role of urban trees – is it all too anthropocentric?

[stihlmadasever]

That's not a problem.

 

I guess a tl;dr would be: we spend too much time focussing on the amenity value trees provide, or other benefits they provide to humans, that we forget that trees also exit to serve biodiversity, and we should be paying for attention to ensuring urban forests are managed in a way that enables for them to support healthy and species-rich ecosystems.

 

Although i agree with the concept i have to say that as an LA employee we do try to ensure our urban landscape is maintained,safe and pleasing to the eye.

It is the latter however that can prove problematic- for example a dead stem was left as habitat for various wildlife to enjoy but had to be removed due to the constant complaints from the public.

Unfortunately aesthetics are more important to some than promoting wildlife ecology.

[Kveldssanger]

I fully understand that problem posed to LA people. In the case of removal, was there a letter drop at the time explaining why the stem was to be left as it was, or was the stem just left and nobody told the reasons why?

[stihlmadasever]

Im unsure if the public were warned or the situation was explained to the people who complained.The monolith in question was in a park,so a high amenity area,and i understand peoples concerns but it seems to me that LA's seem too concernd about complaints being made,tarnishing the councils reputation than actually doing whats right and promoting a more diverse ecology in woodlands and in this instance parks