Chris Packham has lashed out at McDonald's for chopping down 11 mature trees and replacing them with fake grass.
The fast food chain felled the lime and plane trees, which were roughly 30 years old, at a branch in Haringey, north London last week.
Artificial turf has since been spotted in the area as it undergoes refurbishment work.
Tree experts have now criticised the move, which came during a heatwave that saw temperatures top 40C, saying fake grass can exacerbate heat in cities.
Springwatch presenter Mr Packham also branded it the "ultimate insult" and urged McDonald's to "rip it up".
He told i : "Fake grass is the worst. It’s plastic, it can’t be recycled, and it offers no biodiversity return whatsoever. It’s the ultimate insult.
“They [McDonald’s] need to rip it up, find some responsible way to recycle it, then plant with native trees and wild flowers."
Dr Robert Francis, an ecologist at King’s College London, warned removing the trees means losing the shade and putting carbon back into the environment.
And Catherine Nuttgens, an urban tree specialist at the Woodland Trust, said at least double the number of trees would be needed to replace the 11 cut down.
The McDonald's branch was granted planning permission for minor refurbishment in March, including resurfacing of the car park.
Builders then found the tree roots had caused damage to the drainage system while working on the car park, the council was told.
Councillor Mike Hakata, Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Environment and Transport at Haringey Council, said no tree works were submitted as part of the application but they were on private land and not in a conservation area.
A spokesperson for McDonald's said: "Unfortunately, we recently had to remove a small number of trees at our Haringey Restaurant due to roots impacting the drainage system.
"We have already had positive conversations with the local council and committed to replanting more trees in the local area than the number removed as part of the works."
The comments come after plastic grass was banned from RHS Chelsea Flower Show due to the detrimental effect it has on the environment.
Mark Gush, Head of Horticultural and Environmental Science for the RHS, previously told Newsround : "Climate change is caused by too many greenhouse gasses in the air (such as carbon dioxide), and plastic grass contributes to this.
"Fossil fuels are used to make it, and it is also hard to get rid of — the fake grass usually has to go in the bin when it is worn out, and ends up in landfill.
"We encourage everyone to use real grass and flowers in their gardens for the many benefits and enjoyment they provide us and the natural world."
Meanwhile, a study found earlier this year that nearly two-thirds of homeowners worried about the loss of greenery in gardens.
Three-quarters of those surveyed said they preferred natural grass to artificial alternatives.
