Trees as Natural Resources in Urban Landscape (Marginal landscape along the Modarres highway; Tehran)

Understanding the limitations and opportunities of a given landscape to sustain plant growth will ultimately determine the success or failure of any landscape design. The prior step must start with a vision for the site in question and understanding of how the site will be used and what functions the plants will serve in it. The functions of trees have been empirically measured. These data are essential in mitigating the many environmental aspects of the urban environment that result in more livable cities. Trees are used to enrich the urban landscape by temperature modification, reduction of wind speed, noise, pollution, soil erosion and also applied to achieve sustainable management for stormwater runoff. This paper evaluates the indispensable role of trees as natural resources in the green urban -environment, cityscape and landscape design and considers the harsh problems for trees in manufactured areas in cityscapes. Various human activities such as environmental pollution, deforestation and exceeded constructions in urban districts cause damage to trees life. It is, therefore, very essential that these impacts should be assessed to prevent extra damages. To reduce irreparable harms and increase the rate of green space, the first is to consider the significance of planting, urban forestry and arboriculture in the urban environment. As a case study, the paper concentrate on the environmental contribution of trees in the marginal landscape along the "Modarres highway in Tehran".