Tree Removals Affecting Adelaide's Rrban Forest

Over the last several decades, we have seen a large reduction in the number of trees and the overall canopy cover in Adelaide's urban areas. Are we going too far? In this article we will look at the knock on affect we might be having on the local ecosystems and how are contributing to localized warming.

What's causing the depletion?

For the most part, it has to do with the ever-expanding metropolis that is Adelaide. As the population increases, there is a need for new housing and with that demand comes the need for new land and the removal of trees. With the council laws as they currently are, any homeowner can call one of Adelaide’s Tree Lopping and Removal Services and remove almost any tree that is within 3 meters of their home or that has a trunk diameter less than 1.5m

Issues Caused

The canopy cover of the trees do not only beautify the city, they also play a massive role in things like:

• Air purity
• Native bird species habitat
• Erosion of soil
• Carbon store
• Temperature

The above short list all have a dramatic effect on the locals quality of life.

If you look at other cities like Melbourne and Sydney, who now have stricter regulations on tree removals, you will notice the urban forest is actually increasing, not decreasing. This in the face of a much faster expanding population as compared to Adelaide.

What can I do?

Once the average person is aware, it creates conversation on the subject which leads to change.

SO start a blog, write an article, share this post. Let's start getting locals aware there is an issues so we can then do something about fixing it before it is too late.

Ben McInerney is a qualified arborist and has been in the tree game for the last 20 years. He is passionate about passing on his knowledge and educating homeowners on the best way to care for trees in an urban environment.