Tree Planting: The Hidden Pitfalls

Counting the right statistics

There’s a lot about planting trees to save the planet, and capure C02, but an interesting article in “The Verge” by Justine Calma suggests matters are not as simple as you might think.

She notes that “tree planting projects can be attractive because of how easy it is to quantify how much good you’re doing by simply counting the number of trees you stick in the ground”. But – and there’s always a but – she adds this caveat: “the more important tally might be how many of those trees actually live into old age.”

Trees need to be well maintained

Eike Lüdeling, department head of horticultural sciences at the University of Bonn has this to say: “It turns out that many of these seedlings, if you don’t do this well or if people do it who don’t really care about those trees, then they all just die quickly. Sometimes it’s probably a better idea to plant fewer trees and really take care of them.”

As Justine Calma points out:

“Long-term survival is key for trees because for them to be able to offset the greenhouse gas emissions humans generate, they need to live for at least 100 years — roughly the amount of time that the carbon they capture would have stuck around in the atmosphere.”

Now that care and maintenance means someone has to take care of them, especially in the early days, either a volunteer force, who are in it for the long haul, or a paid workforce, again ensuring continuity. As Mary Ellen points out on the Gardening Know How Blog::

“Maintenance is a must with trees. Sure, your other plants need to be maintained too, but not on the scale of a tree. Trees must be pruned and trimmed regularly; they drop leaves that you have to deal with every single fall, and trees may also make a big mess in the spring and summer with seeds and fruits that you’ll have to clean up.”

Location Matters

And Joseph Veldman, assistant professor at Texas A&M University, points out another pitfall:

“Few people realize that planting trees in the wrong places can actually damage ecosystems, increase wildfire intensity and exacerbate global warming.”

This is because some areas can be rich in biodiversity but low on trees, and not understanding that ecosystem before planting trees will disrupt and may damage or destroy it.

But for more urban spaces or close to buildings, there are other issues. As Mary Ellen points out on the Gardening Know How Blog::

“They’ll wreak havoc above and below ground. If you don’t have the right space for a tree that will grow from tiny to massive, that tree can cause a lot of damage. Under the ground, its roots can hit and break water lines and pipes, while up in the air the branches need to be trimmed or they may take down power lines.”

And in conclusion...

This is not to decry planting trees. As well as taking carbon out from the atmosphere, they can reduce noise pollution, reduce air temperature by blocking sunlight, reduce pollution, improve air quality and provide shelter. There’s a lot going for trees, but they grow slowly, and their effects may take decades to show. They are not a quick fix.

Probably the best conclusion comes from Mary Ellen:

“While planting the wrong tree in the wrong place can result in serious problems, planting the right tree is the right place is always a good idea.”


References:
https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/25/20932700/youtubers-climate-change-team-trees
https://blog.gardeningknowhow.com/gardening-pros-cons/pros-and-cons-of-planting-trees/