London is famous for its great trees. More than 70% are at risk due to climate change, research finds
A report from the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew warns that climate change threatens over 70% of London's urban forest by the end of the century. Extreme heat and drought are already causing significant damage to the city's mature trees, prompting calls for urgent action.
Why it matters
Urban forests are critical for climate mitigation and public health; their decline highlights the tangible, local impacts of global climate change.
The branch was beginning to split completely from the tree. The workers at Mitcham Community Orchard told her it was because the fruit tree was stressed.
"Because of the heat essentially. Like, when the trees can't provide enough water to its parts and like some parts will just drop," said Hariramani, who documents fruit trees and the people who tend to them across the city on a social media account called Fruity Walks .
While London’s stone architecture may be more famous to some tourists, the 2,000-year-old city is also renowned for its mature urban forest, which has been called the largest in the world.
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