Urban Trees Grow Fast and Die Young

Trees in urban streets grow more quickly but die faster than those in rural forests, resulting in a net loss of carbon storage from city planting initiatives, new research shows. From a report: Researchers led by Ian Smith of Boston University, US, found that street trees in Boston grow nearly four times faster than those in forest stands nearby in rural Massachusetts. However, mortality rates of street trees are more than double those in rural forests, with young and very large trees most at risk. The findings have implications for urban greening programs, suggesting that planting initiatives alone are insufficient to meet municipal carbon storage, canopy cover and biomass goals. Many cities are embracing greening initiatives to improve urban sustainability and reduce the environmental impacts of urbanisation, the researchers write. 'However, cities have been dramatically understudied by ecologists,' they add. 'Despite the widely espoused benefits of urban trees, the role of urban vegetation in the carbon cycle remains uncertain.' Street trees take many years to pay their way on carbon costs.

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