Urban forestry, which entails nurturing and sustaining urban tree populations and individual trees, is one of the most effective strategies to enhance and preserve a city’s ecosystem. Among those involved in urban forestry are environmental policymakers, planners, educators, researchers and community activists.
Throughout the planning and development phases, arboricultural supervision must be implemented. The consultancy of an AFQ Level 5 Arborist for Brisbane-based urban development projects will ensure that all necessary safeguards and measures are implemented throughout the projects’ phases.
This will guarantee that each project fulfils and exceeds the requirements set by local planning authorities and municipal governments. Once the dust settles on a government urban or commercial project, you can rest assured that all necessary tree protection measures are in place, all risk factors have been assessed and mitigated and land use has been maximised for efficient and safe development.
Let us explore key reasons why AQF level 5 Arborist consultancy will ensure the success and longevity of any project.
- Arborist Reports And Assessments For Assuring Compliance And Efficiency
a) Arborist Report: Each authorising government body has its independent evaluation standards and compliance criteria in relation to a Development Application (DA). The application of Arborist reports has become more frequent in the past decade to manage and preserve Australian urban forests. Most councils have stringent requirements for the credentials of personnel who draft arborist reports. For example, the ‘Australian Standard AS4970-2009: Tree Protection on Development Sites’ specifies that only Certified Arborists possessing an AQF Certificate 5 may prepare Arborist Reports.
A Level 5 Arborist consultancy has a thorough understanding of applicable legislation and tree preservation constraints to assess and provide reports on projects, thus saving time-consuming, costly and potentially dangerous outcomes.
b) Arboricultural Impact Assessment: This type of tree assessment considers how a planned development will coexist and interact with trees and ecosystems in the present and future. The AIA requires the identification of all potential issues at an early stage, allowing these issues to be addressed and resolved as part of the planning process before a decision is made, avoiding the need for a lengthy list of planning requirements or costly backtracking on your development that may result in delays.
- Protecting The Balance Between Urban Forests And Human Settlements
a) Root Systems – Subsurface tree roots are investigated using root mapping. Root mapping is performed to find structural woody roots to minimise root loss. Tree roots are adaptive, unpredictable, unique and site-specific and trees located near human settlements and infrastructure are not renewable resources. Asymmetric root systems are caused by previous utility service installation cutting the roots of street trees without adequate guidance. Roots often grow along service lines and cause interference. Damaged roots may recover if cut appropriately, aiding in the effective retention of trees in urban areas.
b) Soil Profiles: Arborists achieve true sustainable soil fertility without the use of toxic and expensive chemicals by establishing cost-effective tree fertilisation procedures and management plans in ways that complement the environment and contribute to the development of a healthy food soil profile. These sustainability models ensure the health and safety of communities and ecosystems.
- Combat Climate Change Through Urban Forestry Management And Preservation
a) Improved Accuracy In Models For Carbon Sequestration: Local governments and residents alike have been spending heavily to improve public health and well-being through the use of green space. Although models have been established to leverage the benefits supplied by urban trees, more precise site- and species-specific data may improve the accuracy of these models. This is where the consultancy of Level 5 Arborists in any development project is vital.
Carbon sequestration is essentially taking in and storing carbon. The most frequent example in nature is photosynthesis, where trees and plants store carbon as they absorb carbon dioxide. Trees and plants are crucial participants in climate change mitigation because they absorb carbon that would otherwise ascend into the atmosphere and trap heat. This natural form of carbon sequestration serves as a fundamental reason to preserve the world’s urban forests.
b)The Management Of Urban Heat Islands: Urban heat islands form when cities eliminate natural environmental and land cover in favour of high concentrations of pavement, buildings, roads and other heat-absorbing and retaining surfaces. This results in increased energy prices, air pollution levels and heart-related disease. Climate change is anticipated to result in more frequent, more intense, and longer summer heatwaves. Therefore, urban forestry preservation is more essential than ever.
- Identify And Mitigate Public Risk
a)Tree Inventories: This report provides methods of strategic urban forestry planning and management, containing data on identification numbers, species, age, measurements, health and structure, and location of trees.
An arborist will learn a great deal about faults in trees that present symptoms and signs of concern by conducting a tree inventory. A thorough examination will also uncover information regarding a city’s potential tree risk factors, allowing for proactive management to mitigate risk and improve public safety.
b) Bushfire Assessments: Bushfire management is becoming more critical in Australia’s coastal regions. Climate change estimates indicate that coastal regions in the southeast and southwest of Australia will become hotter and drier, increasing the likelihood of bushfires. Simultaneously, these places are growing increasingly urbanised. As a result of this cumulative impact, coastal communities are more prone to bushfires.
Effective solutions for managing urban development in bushfire-prone coastal environments are critical to avoid any repeat of the types of disaster the country faced in early 2020.
- Legal Protection Through Expert Witness Services
Since the early 1990s, Treescience has provided expert witness services in arboriculture cases at various court levels in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales.
Treescience lead scientist and organisation head Jason-Jay (JJ) Naylor has been involved in utility, municipal and urban arboriculture institutional projects, providing assistance in the preparation of training programs, risk matrices, auditing, research, technical reports and the preparation of statements of evidence on a variety of topics.
Conclusion:
Qualified AQF Level 5 Arborist services are multifaceted, ensuring the longevity of commercial, governmental and residential projects by ensuring compliance, environmental sustainability, public safety and solid legal advice.
To initiate the consultancy of Level 5 Arborist in Brisbane or to find out more on which arboricultural consulting service you might need, contact Treescience today.