Trees are valuable for multiple different reasons; they provide shade, support ecosystems, can provide food in the form of their fruits, dead trees increase invertebrate biodiversity, and monetary value from their wood. In Monmouthshire, the council cares for over 23,000 trees with thousands more in private ownership. Caring for our woodlands and trees is an important concern when discussing conservation and has become increasingly important with new pests and diseases becoming increasingly common.
Monmouthshire as a rural county has plenty of open fields and natural woodlands and does not have many large urban areas. Monmouthshire’s mean urban canopy cover for 2013 was estimated at 15.0%, totalling 282 hectares – down from 16.2% in 2009. This level of cover is similar to Wales’ mean urban tree cover which was estimated to be 16.3% for 2013, and the pattern of loss is on par with Wales as a whole, which is down from 17.0% in 2009
Overall towns in Monmouthshire lost 23 hectares between 2009 and 2013 with all eight towns registering canopy loss. Similarly, 159 of Wales’ 220 urban areas showed a decline in cover. When comparing loss and gain of trees between 2006 and 2013, 7,000 large trees appear to have been lost across Wales – with 578 in Monmouthshire, which appears an unduly large number compared with elsewhere. Monmouthshire is home to around 1,260 ancient, notable, and veteran trees. If you would like to know more about our special trees please see here:
This loss is worrying with the impact of climate change as trees lower over-all temperatures. Monmouthshire county council pledged to plant 10,000 over the course of three years to help combat this overall lost and increase biodiversity. This pledge has now been completed in excess with 14,630 trees planted since 2019, this is made up of 14,028 whips and 602 young trees.
i-Tree Eco
In 2021, the council commissioned an i-Tree Eco study to look assess some of the benefits that trees provide. The study area covered the urban areas from Chepstow to Magor and was supported by volunteers.
i-Tree Eco is a software application which is used to quantify the structure and environmental effects of urban trees and calculate their value to society with respect to: the resilience of current and planned urban tree stocks to climate change, their role in regulating temperatures, and water management.
This pledge has now been completed in excess with 14000 trees planted between 2019 and spring 2022, this is made up of approximately 20,500 whips and 1000 young trees.
More information about I-Tree Eco can be found here: i-Tree Eco | i-Tree (itreetools.org)