Traditional Orchard
Widely-spaced fruit trees (apple, pear, plum) in species-rich grassland — a productive, biodiverse landscape and a recognised UK priority habitat. Combines blossom, fruit, veteran-tree habitat and amenity.
Carbon and evidence
Carbon Sink & Ecosystem Services
A living landscape element — a carbon sink and provider of ecosystem services, not a manufactured product. Its value is measured by sequestration and biodiversity, not embodied carbon, and it must never be netted against a product’s A1–A3.
Carbon Sequestration
Not sequestration-led
The primary value here is biodiversity and/or water function, not carbon storage.
Biodiversity Net Gain
traditional orchard is a UK priority habitat and high-distinctiveness under the metric
Source: Defra Biodiversity Metric 4.0
England requires a 10% Biodiversity Net Gain; distinctiveness is one input to the habitat unit calculation.
Ecosystem Services
Establishment & Maintenance
planting and a few seasons to establish; low input thereafter
Read This Honestly
- •Value depends on grassland management and tree diversity (traditional, not intensive).
- •Never offset embodied product carbon with it.
Reference Sources
Products in this category
No manufacturer products are listed in this category yet. You can specify traditional orchard generically and carry it through to a render and specification as normal.
Specification
- Finish
- Fruit trees in grassland
- Service life
- 60 years