As temperatures in our cities increase, researchers and councils are implementing data-backed tools to assist in the planning and monitoring of tree health. Across the globe innovative management methods and data collection studies are being undertaken to secure green canopy into the future. Source: Timberbiz
Adequate green canopy plays an important role in cooling rising temperatures. Differences as high as 24°C between stifling city conditions and cooler nearby rural fields have been recorded in New Delhi, India.
Man-made surfaces like concrete, asphalt roads and steel, store and release heat bouncing it from one building to the next. Without tree cover to provide shade and moisture into the air, urban heat islands are created.
In Australia, researchers from Macquarie University and Western Sydney University have tested the hardiness of different plant species to withstand higher temperatures and lower rainfall. They have used the data collected to create the Which Plant Where website. This website is designed to assist users in selecting native plants and trees better adapted at dealing with increased temperatures, now and into the future.
Which Plant Where is a culmination of five years of research investigating which horticultural species will survive in Australian urban landscapes, not only now but under future climates. This plant selection tool is underpinned by the latest scientific evidence, providing growers, nurseries, landscape architects and urban greening professionals with integrated tools and resources to develop resilient and sustainable urban green spaces for the future.
After scorching summer days, cities around the world are viewing trees as their greatest ally to keep conditions liveable. Cities like Singapore and Paris, now view trees as an integral part of their future and have both announced tree planting targets in coming years. Paris aims to plant 170,000 new trees by 2026 and Singapore is targeting the planting of one million more trees by 2030.
The NSW Government’s Greening our City Premier’s Priority aims to combat the urban heat island effect by increasing green cover across Greater Sydney by planting one million trees by the end of this year.
