About the tree survey

The urban tree survey looks at the most common groups of trees. We want to get as much information on the number, species and location of urban trees as possible. In the second and third years, we will refine and expand the survey based on the information we have gathered in the previous years.

What we know and what we want to find out

We know a lot about trees growing in rural parts of the UK but less about the trees in urban areas. One reason for this is that the towns and cities we know today are relatively recent developments, having grown massively over the past 100 years.

Scientists know a lot about which species are native to the UK and how the amount of woodland and forest has changed through the ages since ice sheets last covered the British Isles 10,000 years ago. Sources of this information include ancient pollen found in soil and peat, Anglo-Saxon charters and the great survey known as the Domesday Book, through to modern recording schemes.

We know relatively little about trees in the urban environment. Information collected in this project will allow the Natural History Museum and other research organisations to gain a better insight into:

• the make-up of the UK’s urban forest and what tree species it contains
• which urban species are native to the UK and which have been introduced from other countries
• regional differences in what trees grow where
• the biodiversity of the wildlife in urban areas living on or supported by trees
• how tree populations have changed over time, as a result of urban planning or garden fashions
• how changes in the climate might affect what trees grow where, when they flower and produce fruit

Your results so far

Thank you to everyone who has already sent in information about their local trees. Using this valuable data we are beginning to build up a picture of the urban tree biodiversity. It provides a valuable base line to compare changes to in the future.

Although we won’t be able to record every tree in the UK, the more people that contribute, the more accurate and useful the set of data will be. That is why we hope you will take part again this year.

View the results so far

UN Decade on Biodiversity

The United Nations has declared 2011-2020 the Decade on Biodiversity.

Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth and is essential for sustaining the natural living systems, or ecosystems. These systems provide us with the food, fuel and resources that are vital to our lives. We also have a major impact on these systems, both positively and negatively.

Efforts are being made to preserve biodiversity. But to do this, we need to know what that diversity is and how it is changing. There are still many gaps in our knowledge, and the UN Decade on Biodiversity is an opportunity for everyone to help fill these gaps.

Taking part in surveys like this will provide information to help us use and protect the natural world better - something that ultimately benefits us all.

Learn about the UN Decade on Biodiversity