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EDITOR'S BLOG

THE VALUE OF TREES
To community wellbeing
by TurfPro Editor, Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR

Trees play a crucial role in communities and offer a variety of values, both environmental and social.

Following on from last week’s blog when I wrote about the value of green spaces, I thought it would make sense this week, to consider the value of trees and what they bring to the community.

Can you imagine a town or city with no trees? It would, without a doubt, be an unpleasant place to live. Trees play a crucial role in communities and offer a variety of values, both environmental and social.

Trees absorb pollutants and release oxygen during photosynthesis, contributing to improved air quality.
Trees store carbon dioxide, helping to mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas levels.
Trees provide shade and cool the air through a process called transpiration, helping to regulate temperatures in urban areas.
Trees provide habitats for various species, contributing to biodiversity and supporting the local ecosystem. They offer food and shelter for birds, insects, and other wildlife, promoting a healthy and balanced ecosystem.
Trees enhance the beauty of the community, providing a pleasing visual environment.
Green spaces with trees create recreational areas for residents, promoting physical and mental well-being.
Trees help prevent soil erosion and promote water absorption, reducing the risk of flooding and improving water quality.

In summary, trees are invaluable to communities, providing a wide range of benefits that contribute to environmental sustainability, human well-being, and overall community resilience.

In recent years we have seen a plethora of pests and diseases that have decimated some species of trees and threaten the future of others. It is one of the reasons the government as set up a new plant security programme.

The word ‘biosecurity’ refers to a set of precautions that aim to prevent the introduction and spread of harmful organisms. These include non-native pests, such as insects, and disease-causing organisms called pathogens, such as some viruses, bacteria and fungi. These pests and pathogens threaten the health of our plants and trees the same way such types of organisms threaten the health of humans and animals.

In 2012, the fungal pathogen that causes ash dieback was first detected in the UK. This pathogen, which is often fatal to our native ash trees, arrived here naturally as wind-blown spores as well as through the importation of infected ash trees. The discovery of this devastating pathogen on our shores was a landmark moment, triggering a step change in public awareness. This led to the original plant biosecurity strategy for Great Britain being published in 2014.

Although the country has made significant progress in delivering that strategy, ash dieback is just one of an ever-growing number of threats to plant health.

Our plants and trees are vital natural capital. It is estimated their total annual value to the UK is £15.7 billion per year, comprising the economic, environmental and social benefits our plants and treescapes provide. This includes the important role our plants play in sequestering harmful greenhouse gases, otherwise known as carbon sequestration. This is estimated to be valued at £4.2 billion per year and will play a crucial role in achieving the government’s ambitions of overall Net Zero emissions by 2050.

The economic benefit of our plants and trees includes the value of our agricultural crops, horticulture, flowers and fruits and vegetables. This is estimated to contribute £4.1 billion to the UK’s economy every year, whilst the commercial forestry industry contributes £0.7 billion.

Our woodlands also provide important social benefits, including recreational benefits, biodiversity benefits and landscape amenity. Together this is estimated annually at £3.1 billion. Social benefits also include the mental health and well-being benefits of UK woodlands, which is estimated at £0.2 billion per year.

Using these estimates for the annual value of plants, an indication can be given of the asset value of trees. An asset value of trees estimates the value of the benefits that our trees provide over their lifetime. This analysis produces an asset value in the region of £350 billion through projecting the relevant tree-related values in the annual value of plants estimate, over a 100-year time period.

Some facts of the benefits of trees and plants:

98% of the oxygen we breathe is produced by plants
1.3 billion kg of air pollutants are removed by plants in the UK each year
80% of the food we eat is provided by plants
80% of the world’s terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects live in forests
Over a third of the 454 native tree species in Europe are considered threatened
Up to 74% of the social costs of greenhouse gas emissions could be avoided by having a greater plant-based diet
Half the global population rely primarily on natural medicines for their healthcare
15,000 litres of water can be intercepted by a mature evergreen tree each year, mitigating flood risk

So, for me, we should all be aware of the value of our trees and green public open spaces. We need to be able to manage and maintain these to ensure our future generations can enjoy the many benefits they bring to safeguard our wellbeing.

NEWS

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'GAME CHANGER' FOR NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Turf quality praised

As one of just three clubs in the Premiership with an all-natural pitch, expectations and demands on the turf are high.

Northampton Saints Rugby Club has described their choice of seed as a ‘game-changer’, saying it has delivered outstanding resilience, wear-tolerance and overall turf quality at both the stadium and new high performance training centre.

As one of just three clubs in the Premiership with an all-natural pitch, they say expectations and demands on the turf are high - but with the right seed, feed and maintenance programme in place, the team lead by head groundsman Andrew Miller believe they are delivering on every front.

The cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens has been the stage for a strong season for Northampton Saints. Ensuring the stage is set, is Andrew and a team of three.

“Maintaining top flight rugby facilities poses a number of challenges,” he explains. “Not only do we have the micro-climate stadium conditions like many other sports, but rugby demands strong, healthy rooting if the surface is going to withstand the pressures exerted by two 900kg scrum packs! Without the help of any hybrid support, Johnsons J Premier Pitch has helped us deliver on this and so much more.”

Andrew has been using the 100% perennial ryegrass mixture for the last nine years. He says, “The turf quality and quick establishment have surpassed our expectations, vitally important with the small windows we’re given to grow the pitch back in after concert season. It gives us more than just a great density of sward with vibrant green colour which looks fantastic in a stadium - the resilience and recovery is outstanding, particularly during intense periods of play and the bad weather we endure through the winter months.”

Besides the stadium, J Premier Pitch was also used on the replica stadium pitch at the club’s High Performance Centre - upgraded during the summer of 2022 and officially unveiled in April 2023.

Andrew added, “This seed mix has been the foundation to elevating all of our surfaces to a standard that professional athletes love to perform on!”

STIHL ANNOUNCE NEW PARTNERSHIP
With charity

Manufacturer says their team will volunteer in a wide range of fund-raising activities with sponsored events including cycling, hikes, car washes and bake-offs.

STIHL GB have announced they are partnering with Perennial, the UK’s only charity dedicated to helping people in horticulture.

L-R: Perennial marketing manager, Jonathan Sharpe; Perennial marketing officer, Beth Porter; Perennial corporate partnership manager, Phil Swainston; STIHL events manager, Anna Perkins; STIHL marketing communications manager, Vicky Tween; STIHL GB head of marketing, Simon Hewitt

The manufacturer's team will volunteer in a wide range of fund-raising activities to provide financial support for Perennial with sponsored events including cycling, hikes, car washes and bake-offs. Helping the charity provide free and confidential advice, information and support to people working in, or retired from, horticulture and their families.

As part of the new charity partnership Perennial will launch the STIHL equipment replacement fund, to help those in need with donations of tools and PPE.

STIHL GB’s head of marketing, Simon Hewitt, said, “We are delighted to be supporting Perennial, a charity whose purpose is so closely linked to our own values. STIHL has been focused on making people’s lives easier when working in and with nature since our founder, Andreas Stihl, invented the first portable chainsaw in the 1920s. In pledging our support to Perennial and combining our efforts we hope together we can help many more people in horticulture.”

Phil Swainston, Perennial’s corporate partnership manager, said, “The financial and social pressures faced by individuals working in, and retired from, horticulture are acute, particularly in today's challenging economic climate where horticulture professionals often contend with relatively low pay and the physical demands of their work. Perennial serves as a lifeline for many in our community, and thus, STIHL’s invaluable support plays a crucial role in our ability to assist those within the horticulture community. STIHL’s support holds immense value, especially as we’ve seen a notable 21% increase in individuals from our sector seeking personal support and a significant rise in those accessing our online tools.”

DEALER NETWORK EXPANDED
Offering utiliy vehicles

Distributor expressed the company’s longstanding efforts to expand presence in these regions, underscoring the importance of selecting the right partner.

Rea Valley Tractors will now offer Corvus Off-Road Vehicles at its Sudbury depot serving Derbyshire and Staffordshire, as announced by Phil Everett, md of Boss ORV, the distributor of Corvus in the UK.

L-R: Mick Reeves (RVT, sales); John Preston (branch manager); Phil Everett (md, Boss ORV); Matt Mulligan (md, RVT); Dave Arnold (RVT, sales)

Phil expressed the company’s longstanding efforts to expand Corvus’s presence in these regions, underscoring the importance of selecting the right partner.

“We have been looking for some time to develop further coverage for Corvus in these regions,” said Phil. “Finding the right partner is, as always, a carefully considered process and we’re pleased to be collaborating with the Rea Valley Tractors to broaden Corvus’ reach and enhance its accessibility to its product range.”

Rea Valley Tractors' managing director, Matt Mulligan, said, “We’re celebrating our 40th year in 2024 and, as a trusted name in the agricultural community, we’ve forged meaningful and long-lasting relationships with both customers and manufacturers alike. We’re delighted to extend this tradition by encompassing Corvus Off-Road Vehicles sales and support throughout the regions.”

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