In the area we have mapped, there are 41 different species of trees. Most common is Limbdo or Neem. The other most common are Tamrphali or Copperpod and Karanj or Kanaji. These 3 species make up to 60% of all street trees. Then there are Saragvo, Saptparni, Gulmohar, Garmalo, Peeplo, Rato shirish and 20 other varieties which are more or less common.
Scarce or Rare?
You are probably more interested in which are the rare ones! Well, there is a beautiful Burmese Pink Cassia on the side lane near Thaltej cross road. It is a sort of exotic garden tree and might be found in private properties. So it would be too early to say if that tree is rare, even if it is only one in this area since we are yet to do mapping of other areas. Kesudo, however is a bit rare in Ahmedabad, and there is a small one near Jeevandip circle.
Importance of Diversity
Species diversity in cities is important. For urban landscape planners, designing a good diversity mix is like deciding the ingredients in perfect quantities for a good, healthy and balanced recipe. Various factors like aesthetic, fragrance, ecological values and functional aspects like shade, pollution control etc need to be considered. Each tree species has a particular character. Some give good shade while some give beautiful flowering. Also some have specific species of birds and insects associated with them. Overall there should be a good mix of all these qualities. So more the variety, more the biodiversity.
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