READ: “Smart New Ways To Protect Wise Old Trees” (Landscape Trades)
From December 2022/January 2023’s Internet of Nature Column
By Dr. Nadina Gale
Bigger trees have bigger crowns. Bigger crowns expel more oxygen, add more value to your home, provide more shade, filter more air and offer more habitat to wildlife. Human health and well-being are comparatively affected more too. A recent study by KU Leuven concluded that larger crown volume was associated with lower medication usage. Even more surprising: larger crown volume across fewer stems was more beneficial for cardiovascular and mental health than similar crown volume across more stems. In simple terms: a street with fewer trees but larger crowns is better for your health.
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What if … we built urban forestry programs around maximizing crown volume, inherently optimizing for older, bigger trees? What would such a community look like? And most importantly, how would we map, monitor, and incentivize crown volume growth?