Singular trees in Bahía Blanca City (Argentina): environmental and heritage analysis
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Abstract
Urban trees are key for the ecosystem services they provide to the inhabitants. Some tree specimens are relevant for their history, structure, longevity and/or beauty. Their designation as “patrimonial” will allow them to be protected. For this reason, the aim of the work is to identify the environmental and heritage value of unique trees in the city of Bahía Blanca (Argentina). For this purpose, ten specimens that have a historical and cultural significance at a local scale were selected and the environmental assessment was applied considering the following variables: dimension, location, exceptionality, beauty, condition and cultural aspect of the tree. Then, the methodology of recognition of heritage trees was used. This methodology analyzes the size, the historical, cultural and/or religious interest, the phase of development and the rarity or state of conservation and/or threat. As a result, it was detected that the chosen trees have a very high and high heritage value and some of them require a prompt designation by the Municipality to be preserved. The application of these methodologies is the key in caring for urban green heritage.