Trees in the city are growing up to 25% faster than those in rural areas. That is according to a new study by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Germany. As the trees grow faster, they are also ageing faster too.
This is due in large part to the 'heat island' affect that cities create. As temperatures rise within the city, the air warms and the trees growing cycle increases. The study found that in cities where the trees were growing in poor quality soil, inadequate soil volume and suffered from lack of water, the trees were not growing faster, but they were ageing more rapidly.
Of course, if city trees are ageing faster, than it stands to reason they may need replacing more often, and these are big considerations for city planners in the years ahead.
Comments