Ancient Tree Inventory | 2019 Annual Summary
David Alderman, ATI Admin, 10/02/2020
Since the start of the project, the ancient tree inventory (ATI) has continued to grow year after year with fantastic results, and 2019 was no exception! This blog has been created to share some of the key highlights and successes of the project from 2019.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed to the ATI in 2019 and we hope that you are able to continue helping us to put ancient trees on the map in 2020!
Highlights:
Total number of trees recorded in 2019: 8,117
Total number of trees verified in 2019: 6,937
This means that 85% of trees were verified – well done to our volunteer verifier team for making this happen!
Total number of verified ATI records at end of 2019: 160, 496!
Species:
- 156 species were recorded in 2019
- The top 10 species were oak (native - 40%), common beech (13%), ash (8%), Lime (4%), hawthorn (4%), sycamore (3%), sweet chestnut (3%), yew (3%), horse chestnut (2%), field maple (1%).
Ancient / Veteran trees in 2019:
- 867 ancient trees recorded and verified
- 3,616 veteran trees recorded and verified
- Top 5 ancient species were oak (native – 44%), common hawthorn (19%), common ash (10%), common beech (5%) and field maple (3%).
- 533 trees with a girth >6m+ were recorded!
- 1,877 trees with a girth of >4.71m were recorded!
- 18% of trees recorded in 2019 are associated with a “medium” or “high” value ancient tree site.
This majestic 7.67m sweet chestnut tree was recorded by Brian Jones at Harewood End. Enormous amounts of deadwood habitat are provided by this tree and the adjacent fallen trunk of another tree. (Tree ID 191237).
A spectacular sessile oak recorded by Helen Leaf, measuring at 7.47m girth (Tree ID 193006).
What can we achieve in 2020?
This year we can build on the success of 2019 to continue mapping the UK’s most important trees.
Can you help us to achieve our goal of recording 10,000 trees in 2020?
Setting yourself a tree recording goal at the start of the year can be a fun way to motivate yourself throughout the year! Why not set yourself a “50-tree challenge” and try to record 50 trees this year?
But remember, quality is more important than quantity! If you are unsure of what trees to record to the ATI then take a look at our What We Record page and our Species Guides.
Where should I look for ancient and veteran trees?
Top spots for ancient trees include royal hunting forests, medieval deer parks, historic wood pastures, ancient wooded commons and old hedgerows.
However your local park or woodland would be a great place to start too!
Don’t forget to check our interactive map too to see what trees have already been recorded in your local area.
Happy tree recording! And thank you for helping us to put ancient trees on the map!
ATI team
