Mayor of Madrid Jose Luis Martinez Almeidagot a lot of criticism over the last few hours for the solution surround dozens of trees with asphalt in different parts of the capital. There are even those who accuse him of arboricide. Of course, most of the people who expressed outrage are opposition advisers, so you might think that this is nothing more than political dispute. However, if we put politics aside and focus on science, there is still room for complaint.
There are several reasons why it is not practical to surround trees with asphalt. However, in general they can be reduced to suffocates to the roots and with them to the tree itself.
This is a problem not only for the plant, but also for the people who live near it. We must not forget that trees protect us from global warming and provide us with some of the oxygen we breathe. Almeida himself recalled that the Amazon is the lungs of the planet when he decided that he would prefer to save Notre Dame from the fire. The usefulness of trees is clear to him, it remains only to know whether he knows The dangers of asphalt
Why is asphalt around trees dangerous?
We must remember that a tree is not only something that is visible, but also something that is not visible. Roots to help them capture water and nutrients from the soil. Even in them part gas exchangenecessary for its survival. Part of this happens in the stomata, which are found in the leaves. But this exchange is also carried out in the lenticels of roots and stems.
This is one of the processes that asphalt interferes with, as explained by the New York Botanical Garden. Gas exchange is not completely prevented, but noticeably limited.
In addition, the asphalt around the tree trunk prevents rainwater from reaching the roots. This can be corrected if there is an underground aquifer or spring nearby. However, again, the likelihood that the plant will be able to collect all the water it needs is greatly reduced.
On the other hand, we must not forget that asphalt gets hot when exposed to solar radiation. It is black, so it absorbs almost all of these radiations, strongly heating everything that is under its surface. If the roots get too hot it can affect the survival of the trees, so that will be a problem too. And all this without taking into account the fact that, if care is not taken, the application of asphalt itself can harm the plant.
With all this, although the result will depend on other factors, such as the porosity of the earth or the presence of aquifersSurrounding a tree with asphalt, while it reaches the very trunk, can be very dangerous. It is clear that trees are needed in paved areas. In fact, thanks to its shadow, the temperature is much more acceptable for humans. However, keep in mind that if it is applied too close, as in Madrid, the asphalt can also suffocate them. And if they don’t breathe properly, neither do we. This is something we must not forget.
Source: Hiper Textual
