The warmer cities become, the less carbon dioxide trees absorb. Free Technical Library News

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The warmer it gets in cities, the less carbon dioxide the trees absorb.

12.10.2016

US scientists warn that as temperatures rise in cities, the ability of trees to absorb carbon dioxide is reduced by 12%.

Urban trees and shrubs are significant CO2 stores. They absorb it from the atmosphere during photosynthesis through stomata - special pores on both sides of the leaves, designed for gas exchange with the atmosphere and moisture evaporation. The absorbed gas is used by the plant for tissue growth. In general, this feature of plants is favorable for the climate, as it mitigates global warming.

It is estimated that trees in urban areas in the United States absorb 643 million tons of CO2 annually. Another 25,6 million tons are trees in cities. The scientists, led by Emily Meineke, a Harvard postdoctoral fellow, monitored 40 trees at 20 locations in Raleigh, Northern California, for three years. Places for observation were chosen from satellite images: 10 relatively cold places and 10 unusually warm ones. Usually the coolness is where there is more greenery. Asphalt and buildings, on the other hand, create additional heat. Although the difference in temperature is small - only 2-3 degrees Fahrenheit.

In each of the 20 observation sites, the scientists chose two loose-leaved oaks. Every third of the oaks they treated with an insecticide spray. The idea was that untreated trees in warm places would grow slower because they were more likely to be attacked by insects. Insects are exothermic, meaning their temperature depends on the temperature of the environment. The warmer, the more active the metabolism of insects, the more eggs they lay.

Indeed, after three years of observations, it turned out that there are more beetles in warm places, and untreated trees grow more slowly. At the same time, these trees absorb less CO2. When they compared the fresh growth of plants treated with insecticide and the growth of untreated plants, they saw that the beetles harm more the branches where they live, and not the whole tree. "We don't know exactly how much carbon dioxide is taken up by the new branches, but there isn't much in the tree overall," Meinecke said.

Why do trees grow worse in warm places? The authors of the work believe that in this way the tree is trying to reduce the consumption of moisture in conditions of rising air temperature, so it closes the stomata on the leaves. At the same time, it reduces the ability for photosynthesis, energy production, growth, and CO2 uptake.

According to Meinecke, the results of the work will be useful for urban planners who take into account the greening of the city as an absorber of greenhouse gases. The effect established by scientists will increase with increasing temperature. So, you need to choose trees that will absorb CO2 in warm and dry conditions.

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