Eucalypts in urban spaces

Eucalypts play a vital role in all Australia’s rural ecosystems and have done so for millennia. It is now recognised that their role in urban situations is becoming vital too.

Main South Rd Drouin

There are some issues with this. Conflicts of emotions and opinions arise when trying to reconcile a large, old, majestic, historic tree in an urban location with water-seeking roots, dropping limbs, ‘messy’ bark and ‘annoying’ wildlife.

Australia is a large country and has one of the lowest population densities in the world. We also have a very high urbanisation rate of more than 80%. The evidence is very clear that our urban areas are in dire need of more vegetation to provide a connection with nature, lower the urban heat island effect, clean the air, lower the water table, improve our health, provide habitat – and much more.

While exotic species are capable of doing some of this, it is the eucalypts that are best. Eucalypts are adapted to our climate and our soils – they have been here for thousands of years.

‘Gum’ trees play a significant role in the human psyche of most Australians. During World War 1, families would send gum leaves in their letters to those at the front. Nurses wore gum leaves pinned to their capes and it is said that returning soldiers could smell the eucalyptus before land was sighted.

Eucalypts retain their leaves throughout the year: they provide year-round shade and year-round air-cleaning.

In urban zones, wildlife often rely completely on the presence of eucalypts. They provide food, shelter, refuge, breeding sites, habitat for invertebrates (food for other animals), mistletoe, fungi and micro-organisms in the root zones.

In urban areas, old eucs particularly are especially valuable. And yet, as a eucalypt ages, it is often more readily targeted for removal – it has become ‘dangerous’, or, “It isn’t beautiful anymore, we’ll remove it and replace it with something more attractive for our development”. A well-trained arborist knows that old eucs, even dead ones, are as valuable for biodiversity as younger trees are. Also, good arborists appreciate the threshold of acceptable risk and that removal is not always the best answer.

Equally valuable

Maybe the answer lies in the development of ‘designer eucalypts’ – for another day.

Don’t forget to vote for your favourite Drouin eucalypt: Settlement Giant in Settlement Rd, Grandfather Tree in Civic Park, Railway Giant in Albert Rd, Old Swimming Hole Giant in Lampard Rd or the Ficifolia corridor in Princes Way. Just send your vote to drouinsfavouritetree@gmail.com Winner will be announced on National Eucalypt Day at Alex Goudie Park, 23^rd March, 10am.

 

 

 

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