As we know, China suffers from high levels of air pollution that causes serious cardio-respiratory diseases to all the inhabitants. The air quality is very low and, depending on the current weather, more gases are concentrated and the air quality worsens even more.
That is why discovering which trees are most conducive to reducing pollution To contribute to the fight against climate change is of vital importance in China. How will you study which trees are more favorable?
The great pollution in China
The air in China has a very low air quality due to the fact that they mostly use coal as fuel. The large number of vehicles in circulation, the high population density and the industries. All of this creates a layer of pollution in China that makes it unbreathable. Millions and millions of Chinese have to go out with masks so that 2,5 micron diameter particles do not get into their lung alveoli. These particles cause serious respiratory and vascular diseases.
Therefore, it is vitally important for China to study which trees absorb the most CO2 in order to spread them and contribute to the fight against climate change, which is related to a Reforestation project in China to combat pollution implemented in the Chinese city of Shanghai, which will install monitors that will study the characteristics of the metropolis' forests.
These measuring stations will allow us to study which types of trees are capable of absorbing the greatest amount of CO2 from the atmosphere. It is also important to study which trees are capable of producing the most negative oxygen ions. The impact of the climate change in plants, as this could affect their growth.
Study on which trees are better for climate change
Jiao Tong University professor Liu Chunjiang It is the one that leads the project to study the most efficient trees. This project will monitor the effectiveness of forests in managing carbon dioxide, producing oxygen, managing pollution, cleaning the air, and maintaining biodiversity.
It's not just trees that help absorb CO2, but agriculture as well. This is why the study also determines the density and height of plantings that are most effective in combating pollution. The distance between trees must also be taken into account, since shading each other would reduce the amount of CO2 they absorb, which is related to the effects of climate change in local ecosystems.
It must be taken into account that occupation and territory is a vital variable for this project to succeed, since China cannot afford to “spend” too much territory, since it is home to the largest population density in the world. The data will help Chinese local governments make decisions and will also help forest managers manage their forests.
The first station started operations in November at Zhongshan Park and is scheduled to be installed in the next few months. a total of 12 ecological monitoring stations thanks to this project carried out by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University. In addition, the monitors installed have screens that show the population certain meteorological variables such as temperature, humidity, pollution density, etc. This also raises awareness and keeps people informed about the current state of the air quality they are breathing. The importance of this data can also be related to the ecosystem adaptation to the new environmental conditions.
Pollution is not the only concern
This project will not only consider variables affecting pollution and climate change, but will also monitor soil, water, and vegetation conditions to study forest growth and how it changes the city's ecology.
According to data provided by Liu, the forest cover of Shanghai, whose urban agglomeration has more than 30 million inhabitants and high levels of pollution, it was around 15% last year and the city plans to increase the rate to 25% by 2040.
