Research studies focusing on the development and physiological efficiency of street trees in relation to the degree of paving are restricted. Seeking to resolve this, a group at the University of Gothenburg studied the effect of surface area cover around the trunk on pin oak, horse chestnut and typical lime trees at several websites in Gothenburg and Mölndal.
Its obvious that trees planted in urban locations can not just supply shade but also lower air temperature. However, for these environment services to be ideal, you have to provide trees the finest conditions possible. Researchers discovered that extreme asphalt around trees lessens their ecological benefits. They advise replacing asphalt with turf to optimize these benefits.
When the trees grow inadequately, the community services supplied by city trees are influenced by their canopy size and density and are restricted. One of the main stress aspects that limit their development in cities is surface area paving. Paved surfaces limit the seepage of rainwater into the soil, which in turn lowers water and nutrient uptake of trees.
Building on this background, the researchers explored how different surface area materials impact these tree species.
In recent years, its been planted in Gothenburg. Aesculus hippocastanum (horse chestnut) is native to the Balkan Peninsula, but its now widely distributed in main Europe and North America.
The research study concentrated on horse chestnut trees growing in environments with differing degrees of paving. Image credits: Janina Konarska.
Trees versus asphalt
“You need to do the finest you can when planting trees in urban areas. It is a great idea to invest in much better soil and preferably to water the tree if it is difficult to develop open areas around the trees. It is essential that we take care of the trees, they are important in numerous ways,” Lasse Tarvainen, one of the research study authors, stated in a news release.
The study was released in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning.
There were differences in how much the various tree types were impacted by not getting water to the roots. Horse chestnut is the least affected by paved surface areas, however it performs even worse than pin oak and typical lime as a cooling plant under better growth conditions. The scientists keep in mind however that, while the option of types is necessary, the cooling result of trees depends more on how close the trunk is to asphalt.
The researchers found that 20- to 30-year-old trees that were surrounded by yard were on typical 2.6 meters (8.5 feet) taller and had crowns 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) broader than neighboring trees with pavement closer to the trunk. The trees also had crowns that were 61% denser usually and supplied twice as much cooling. In general, this recommends that trees community services can be jeopardized by bad tree planting style.
If it is challenging to produce open areas around the trees, it is an excellent concept to invest in much better soil and preferably to water the tree.
” Our research study reveals that an essential aspect is how much of the area around the tree is paved,” Janina Konarska, research study lead author, stated in a press release. “The air above the asphalt surface area will be warmer than the air above grass or soil. A solidified surface also avoids rainwater from reaching the roots, which affects the growth of the tree.”
Researchers discovered that excessive asphalt around trees reduces their environmental benefits. The ecosystem services offered by metropolitan trees are affected by their canopy size and density and are limited when the trees grow improperly. The scientists discovered that 20- to 30-year-old trees that were surrounded by lawn were on average 2.6 meters (8.5 feet) taller and had crowns 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) broader than close-by trees with pavement closer to the trunk. In general, this suggests that trees environment services can be jeopardized by poor tree planting style.
The study was based on various specifications, such as crown density, tree development and the quantity of water released by the leaves (through a process called transpiration). All of these factors identify the trees effect on the microclimate. The density of the crown and the size of the tree determine the shading result, while transpiration serves as air conditioning, cooling the air.
