Cities need trees, but sometimes they have to be cut down – here’s why, and how to do it properly

By Enrique Baquero, Investigador del Instituto de Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (BIOMA) y profesor de la Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Navarra

Like all living things, trees have a limited life cycle, with phases of youth, maturity, and old age. In their prime, trees provide shade, coolness and environmental quality – as well as an undeniable aesthetic value – to urban spaces. However, as they get older they get weaker, and this affects their stability. Old age brings internal rot, hollow trunks, fungal and bacterial infections, and an increased risk of breakage or falling.

In the natural…

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