Why keeping one mature street tree is far better for humans and nature than planting lots of new ones
The net ecosystem service of an urban tree is worth thousands of dollars.
Thanks to Victorian street planners, many British streets were designed to be full of big trees and, with 84% of the population living in urban areas, most people are more likely to encounter trees in the streets than they are in forests.
The UK is one of the least densely wooded countries in Europe (at 13% coverage compared to the EU average of 38%) and, as such, its street trees are even more valuable.