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. To do this, one of the objectives of a project implemented in the Chinese city of Shanghai for which monitors will be installed that will study the characteristics of the forests of the metropolis.
With these measurement stations it will be possible to study the types of trees that are capable of absorbing more CO2 in the atmosphere. Furthermore, it is important to study which trees are capable of producing the most negative oxygen ions.
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 is not only trees that help absorb CO2 but also agriculture. That is why the study also determines the density and height of the crops that are most effective in combating contamination. The distance that must be kept between the trees must also be taken into account since if they shade each other, the amount of CO2 they absorb would decrease.
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 installed monitors have screens that show the population some meteorological variables such as temperature, humidity, pollution density, etc. In this way, it also creates awareness and keeps people informed about the situation of the quality of the air they are breathing.
Pollution is not the only concern
This project will not only take into account the variables that affect pollution and climate change but will also monitor soil and water conditions and vegetation with the aim of studying the growth of the forest and how the ecology of the forest changes. city.
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.