Is there any basis for giving notice to a tree before cutting it down ... If so, what is it?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

This is totally false and groundless, because it can never be acceptable without evidence from the Quran or the Sunnah, and there is no such evidence.

In this regard, we refer to a Hadeeth narrated by Abu Daawood on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn Habashi in which the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, says: “Whoever uproots a tree, Allaah will aim his head in Hell.”

Abu Daawood was asked about the meaning of this Hadeeth and he said that it means that whoever uproots a tree in the desert that people sit and animals lie in its shade, in vain and without a right, Allaah The Exalted will aim his head in Hell.