The importance of trees

The importance of trees and the benefits that can be gained from growing them has been recognised for many years.  


The University takes it's tree stock seriously and along with an in depth tree survey carried out to look at the health of individual trees every 5 years we have an annual programme for maintenance, pruning and replanting.



After receiving the award for historic grounds by the Green flag panel in early 2019 and  more recently having parts of the campus receive a grade 2 listed status  the importance of preservation of our landscape has increased significantly.  

The part of a tree most overlooked simply because it's out of sight is the root system, the anchor which allows the tallest of trees to stand firm in all conditions.  

Depending on the tree species the root system can spread up to two and a half times it's own height and are quite shallow the majority being found in the top 60cm of soil and are easily damaged by compaction which effectively restricts the oxygen and water available to the tree and in these conditions the tree can go into rapid decline.

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     Compaction can be caused by both vehicle traffic and desire line footpaths, in order to reduce the harmful effects of the compaction the Grounds section have invested in an Arb-ex air spade this allows compressed air to be injected deep into the soil oxygenating and hydrating roots to allow for optimum tree growth and health.

Compressed air allows a more direct water and air supply to the root system.

Use of the air spade is becoming increasingly common among utilities and construction companies. 

First and foremost, the industry has realised that using air is far safer when digging around dangerous or sensitive areas. It won’t damage pipes or cables and in most cases it is much quicker than conventional hand digging.

This trench has been dug out using the air spade exposing the labyrinth of tiny tree roots which are imperative for a tree to thrive.