(Arboricultural-styled) 'Fact of the Day'

[Gary Prentice]

16/08/15. Fact #8.75.

 

A little fun fact for a pub quiz...

 

On average a 12m tree (40ft) can uptake as much as 225 litres of water (50 gallons) Per year, the leaf area will utilise 50,000 cubic metres of air and directly filter-out one ton of particulate matter.

 

Cool, eh!

 

Source: Davis, M. (2015) A Dendrologist's Handbook. UK: The Dendrologist.

 

 

I'm not sure that I believe that!

[Kveldssanger]

I checked the Today's Urban Forest document just now and it states the following:

 

The amount of pollution removal by the trees in Torbay was greatest in May, at 6 tons. Total value of pollution removal per hectare per year in Torbay was 0.002 tons, much lower than the 0.009 tons for London and 0.23 tons for Guangzhou, China.

 

Source: Rogers, K., Jarratt, T., & Hansford, D. (2011) Today's Urban Forest: Assessing Urban Forest Effects and Values. UK: Treeconomics.

 

Also available here as a PDF.

Edited August 19, 2015 by Kveldssanger

[Gary Prentice]

I checked the Today's Urban Forest document just now and it states the following:

 

The amount of pollution removal by the trees in Torbay was greatest in May, at 6 tons. Total value of pollution removal per hectare per year in Torbay was 0.002 tons, much lower than the 0.009 tons for London and 0.23 tons for Guangzhou, China.

 

Source: Rogers, K., Jarratt, T., & Hansford, D. (2011) Today's Urban Forest: Assessing Urban Forest Effects and Values. UK: Treeconomics.

 

Also available here as a PDF.

 

So you agree with me? From table 1, Headline findings:

 

Number of trees 818,000:Pollution removal 50 tons per year

 

So that all the trees in Torbay only capture 50 tonnes per year, all 800,000 of them.

 

 

I did do a lot of reading on particulates for an assignment and thought it was too high.

Edited August 19, 2015 by Gary Prentice

[Kveldssanger]

I do agree with you, yes. I shall double-check statements like that from here-on-in.

[Gary Prentice]

I do agree with you, yes. I shall double-check statements like that from here-on-in.

 

Sorry to be pedantic:blushing:

[kev7937]

I was told or read somewhere that leylandii filter 4x as much pollution as London planes, is there any truth in that or did I dream it?

[Kveldssanger]

Sorry to be pedantic:blushing:

 

No! It's good you pointed it out.

[Kveldssanger]

I was told or read somewhere that leylandii filter 4x as much pollution as London planes, is there any truth in that or did I dream it?

 

This link shows how much leyland does, but I cannot find plane on the list! (right at the bottom)

[Gary Prentice]

I understand that conifers filter more because they have foliage all year, also hairy leaves trap more particulates than smooth leaves (more surface area maybe).

[Kveldssanger]

Sounds about right.

 

See, the leyland is good for three things:

- birds

- pollution capture

- annoying neighbours