Trees, along with plants like shrubs and grass, help maintain clean air in our neighborhoods while reducing urban heat. For this greenery to effectively improve air quality, it requires proper care and maintenance. A local arborist offers general tree services to help keep your greenery healthy and strong for many years. Here are a few ways tree care services help improve air quality in your neighborhood:
Absorb Harmful Gases
Healthy trees support efficient air circulation within the canopy. Trees act as natural air filters, and they absorb toxic gases through tiny pores on their leaves. These gases include sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides, which can cause respiratory health issues. With proper tree maintenance, it’s possible to grow healthy foliage and a dense canopy to absorb these gases. Arborists may use disease-control measures and root fertilization to promote healthy growth. They apply appropriate fungicides or bactericides to eliminate plant infections. Root fertilization involves injecting nutrients into a tree’s root zone, and this promotes healthy and vibrant growth.
Trap Particulate Matter
Tiny particles, such as dust, soot, and pollen, can get trapped on tree leaves. Exposure to these airborne particles may lead to respiratory issues and chronic illnesses. Properly maintained trees trap significant amounts of atmospheric particulate matter, resulting in cleaner air. Tree services offer solutions to promote stronger, greener plants that can trap airborne particles.
One solution is tree injections, a method that delivers nutrients directly into a plant’s vascular system. This technique allows rapid nutrient absorption, and it encourages the growth of healthier, larger leaves. It can be ideal for trees or shrubs with large leaves and dense foliage, such as oaks, maples, and pines.
Produce Oxygen
Trees perform photosynthesis by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) and releasing oxygen (O2). This exchange balances atmospheric gases, providing the fresh air we need to breathe. It also helps reduce atmospheric CO2, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Your arborist may encourage planting more trees and maintaining existing ones to increase oxygen production and CO2 absorption. A mature tree is likely to release enough oxygen for four people each day while absorbing up to 48 pounds of CO2.
Reduce Urban Heat Islands
Neighborhoods in developed cities are more prone to urban heat islands (UHIs); these are areas that are hotter than surrounding rural areas due to factors like less vegetation, dense buildings, and trapped pollution. With healthy and mature trees, it’s possible to reduce UHIs through shading. Proper care allows trees to develop dense canopies that block sunlight, preventing it from reaching heat-absorbing surfaces like asphalt. This keeps surfaces in neighborhoods cooler, allowing them to radiate less heat back into the atmosphere.
Trees also act as natural air conditioners through evapotranspiration, reducing ambient temperatures. They release water vapor through the tiny pores on the leaves, which helps cool the air. By shading buildings, trees can reduce the heat absorbed by structures; this lowers air conditioning demand, allowing homeowners to reduce energy usage.
With growth regulators, arborists can slow tree and shrub growth when they reach the desired size. This helps prevent trees from interfering with urban structures, such as utility lines, or becoming damaged by severe weather. This reduces the need for frequent pruning while extending the tree’s lifespan, maximizing the impact of evapotranspiration.
Seek Quality Tree Services Today
Neighborhoods with well-maintained trees benefit from enhanced air quality. Whether you own a few shrubs or hundreds of trees, the right maintenance services can help keep your greenery vibrant. Hiring an arborist to examine and care for your trees can help prevent disease and insect infestations. With healthy trees, it’s possible to keep the surrounding air clean and cool. Contact a trusted arborist today for quality tree services.
