We must realise that trees are a valuable part of the process of urbanisation. Therefore it is important to select, plant and maintain trees in urban landscapes.
Before planting, visualise how your new tree will interact with your existing landscape. Not only as a seedling but also when it attains full size. Do not plant a tree where it will eventually compete for space.
Whether your goal is to clean up the local air or fight global warming, trees have become an indispensable tool!
Here are 4 reasons to plant a TREE.
1. Poor air quality is already a problem in urbanisation process. Trees can maintain air quality by altering the atmosphere through temperature moderation and removal of air pollution. Trees in parking spaces can reduce evaporative emissions from vehicles. Urban trees also improve air quality by directly removing vicious particulate matter pollutants from the air by intercepting them on leaf surfaces and absorbing gaseous pollutants (ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide). Ficus religiosa is an excellent choice in this context.
2. Although trees require water to grow, the amount required, varies from species to species. But urban trees also help to conserve water by shading buildings and moderating air temperature, thereby reducing the demand for electricity used in air conditioning. The volume of water that can be conserved through reduced electricity demand from tree shading could be much greater than the amount of water used by trees. Ficus religiosa, Pongamia pinnata, Alstonia scholaris etc are excellent choices in this context
3. Trees trap rainwater on leaves, branches, and trunks, slowing movement to the ground, and preventing rapid runoff. Some of the intercepted precipitation is evaporated back into the atmosphere.On the ground, fallen leaves and other organic material act like sponge, holding rainwater in place, slowly releasing water into the soil, and preventing surface runoff. Roots and trunks of mature trees create hollows on the ground that hold and reduce runoff, preventing erosion and increasing infiltration of precipitation. Organic tree matter increases the capability of soil to hold moisture and deep roots improve the transfer of water from upper soils into lower soil levels. Jack and Mango will be ideal choices. Also select local species.
4. Trees remove carbon dioxide by “breathing in" CO2 and and releasing oxygen through their leaves. The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) absorbed annually by a tree varies depending on tree species, age, and size. In reality, trees sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their trunks, branches, roots, and leaves. When trees die, most of the carbon dioxide they sequestered in their lifetime ends up back in the atmosphere. Go for long lived trees which will also stay healthy in the long run.
