Abstract
Summary A survey was made of trees alongside a sample of adopted roads in the district of Arfon, Gwynedd, Wales. Number of trees varied from 43 km−1 alongside trunk and main roads to 74 km−1 bordering secondary roads. In contrast to the overwhelming predominance of exotic conifers in nearby plantations, 3,372 of 3,377 roadside trees observed were broadleaved with Quercus spp (8 per cent), Corylus avellana (9 per cent), Acer pseudoplatanus (14 per cent), Fraxinus excelsior (19 per cent) and Crataegus monogyna (25 per cent) being the most numerous. Roadside trees were more numerous in lowland, than in upland, localities, 70 km−1 compared with 39 km−1; they were also more diverse. Populations of roadside trees include many small specimens, but relatively few maturing trees, a distribution reflecting present day attitudes to management which may, if left unaltered, lead to drastic landscape changes.
Published Version
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