{"id":652351,"date":"2025-02-05T20:30:26","date_gmt":"2025-02-05T17:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/to-keep-your-cool-in-a-heat-wave-it-may-help-to-water-your-trees\/"},"modified":"2025-02-05T20:30:26","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T17:30:26","slug":"to-keep-your-cool-in-a-heat-wave-it-may-help-to-water-your-trees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/to-keep-your-cool-in-a-heat-wave-it-may-help-to-water-your-trees\/","title":{"rendered":"#To keep your cool in a heat wave, it may help to water your trees"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dfe3918b33\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dfe3918b33\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/to-keep-your-cool-in-a-heat-wave-it-may-help-to-water-your-trees\/#How_trees_keep_us_cool_and_no_its_not_just_about_shade\" >How trees keep us cool (and no, it&#8217;s not just about shade)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/to-keep-your-cool-in-a-heat-wave-it-may-help-to-water-your-trees\/#Watering_your_trees\" >Watering your trees<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/to-keep-your-cool-in-a-heat-wave-it-may-help-to-water-your-trees\/#Not_all_trees\" >Not all trees<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/to-keep-your-cool-in-a-heat-wave-it-may-help-to-water-your-trees\/#Trees_keep_us_cool\" >Trees keep us cool<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/house-tree.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/house-tree.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/house-tree.jpg\" alt=\"house tree\" title=\"Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/knowledge.aidr.org.au\/resources\/heatwave\/\" target=\"_blank\">Heat waves<\/a> are among the world&#8217;s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/wmo.int\/topics\/heatwave#:~:text=Impact,died%20from%20heat-related%20stress.\" target=\"_blank\">deadliest<\/a> weather hazards. Every year, vast numbers of people are <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S1462901114000999\" target=\"_blank\">killed by heat stress<\/a> and it can worsen health problems such as <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/climate-change-heat-and-health\" target=\"_blank\">diabetes, asthma and heart disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the bitumen roads, brick and concrete structures and roofing tiles in cities can absorb and retain vast amounts of heat, much of which is released after the sun has set. This creates what&#8217;s known as the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.climatechange.environment.nsw.gov.au\/impacts-climate-change\/built-environment\/urban-heat\" target=\"_blank\">urban heat island effect<\/a>. In fact, temperatures can be <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.climatechange.environment.nsw.gov.au\/impacts-climate-change\/built-environment\/urban-heat#:~:text=and%20rural%20environments.-,In%20large%20cities%2C%20average%20temperatures%20can%20be%201%C2%B0C,parts%20experiencing%20even%20higher%20temperatures.\" target=\"_blank\">significantly higher in cities<\/a> than in <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/greenly.earth\/en-us\/blog\/ecology-news\/6-key-things-to-know-about-urban-heat-islands\" target=\"_blank\">surrounding or rural areas<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Trees and greenspace can <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/wwf.org.au\/blogs\/trees-lower-temperatures-in-a-sydney-street-by-20-degrees\/\" target=\"_blank\">drive down urban temperatures<\/a>\u2014but they must be able to draw water from the soil to achieve these massive cooling effects.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, it can sometimes be helpful to water your trees during a heat wave.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_trees_keep_us_cool_and_no_its_not_just_about_shade\"><\/span>How trees keep us cool (and no, it&#8217;s not just about shade)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Trees reduce urban temperatures in two significant ways. One is by the shade they provides and the other is through their cooling effect\u2014and no, they&#8217;re not the same thing.<\/p>\n<p>Water is taken up via a plant&#8217;s roots, moves through the stems or trunks and is then misted into the air from the leaves through little holes called stomata. This is called transpiration, and it helps cool the air around leaves.<\/p>\n<p>Water can also evaporate from soil and other surfaces. The combined loss of water from plants and soil is called evapotranspiration.<\/p>\n<p>The cooling effects of evapotranspiration vary but are up to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2095311913605432#:~:text=Our%20literature%20review%20suggests%20that,ways%20of%20reducing%20urban%20temperatures\" target=\"_blank\">4\u00b0C<\/a>, depending on other environmental factors.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Watering_your_trees\"><\/span>Watering your trees<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If heat waves occur in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a>ly hot, dry weather, then trees will provide shade\u2014but some may struggle with transpiration if the soil is too dry.<\/p>\n<p>This can reduce the cooling effect of trees. Keeping soil moist and plants irrigated, however, can change that.<\/p>\n<p>The best time to irrigate is early in the morning, as the water is less likely to evaporate quickly before transpiration can occur.<\/p>\n<p>You don&#8217;t need to do a deep water; most absorbing roots are close to the surface, so a bit of brief irrigation will often do the trick. You could also recycle water from your shower. Using mulch helps trap the water in the soil, giving the roots time to absorb it before it evaporates.<\/p>\n<p>All transpiring plants have a cooling effect on the air surrounding them, so you might wonder if trees have anything special to offer in terms of the urban heat island effect and heat waves.<\/p>\n<p>Their great size means that they provide much larger areas of shade than other plants and if they are transpiring then there are greater cooling effects.<\/p>\n<p>The surface area of tree leaves, which is crucial to the evaporative cooling that takes place on their surfaces, is also much greater than many other plants.<\/p>\n<p>Another advantage is that trees can be very long lived. They <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/heatislands\/using-trees-and-vegetation-reduce-heat-islands\" target=\"_blank\">provide shade, cooling and other benefits<\/a> over a very long time and at relatively low cost.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ads w-100 my-4 article-main__more bg-light p-3 border\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-3\">\n        Discover the latest in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>, tech, and space with over <strong>100,000 subscribers<\/strong> who rely on Phys.org for daily insights.<br \/>\n        Sign up for our <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/newsletter\/\" target=\"_blank\">free newsletter<\/a> and get updates on breakthroughs,<br \/>\n        innovations, and research that matter\u2014<strong>daily or weekly<\/strong>.\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Not_all_trees\"><\/span>Not all trees<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>All that said, I don&#8217;t want to overstate the role of urban trees in heat waves when soils are dry.<\/p>\n<p>Some trees cease transpiring early as soils dry, but <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/auf.isa-arbor.com\/content\/39\/3\/109\" target=\"_blank\">others will persist<\/a> until they wilt.<\/p>\n<p>Careful tree selection can help <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/treenet.org\/resource\/it-isnt-rocket-science-street-trees-can-make-a-difference-in-climate-change\/\" target=\"_blank\">maximize the cooling effects<\/a> of the urban forest. Trees that suit the local soil and can cope with some drying while maintaining transpiration can provide greater cooling<\/p>\n<p>And, of course, it is important to follow any <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.water.vic.gov.au\/for-households\/water-restrictions-and-rules\/permanent-water-saving-rules\" target=\"_blank\">water restriction<\/a> <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nsw.gov.au\/environment-land-and-water\/drought\/water-restrictions\" target=\"_blank\">rules<\/a> or <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sydneywater.com.au\/water-the-environment\/what-we-are-doing\/water-wise-guidelines.html\" target=\"_blank\">guidelines<\/a> that may be operating in your area at the time.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Trees_keep_us_cool\"><\/span>Trees keep us cool<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Despite the clear benefits trees can provide in curbing heat, tree numbers and canopy cover are declining annually in many Australian cities and towns.<\/p>\n<p>Housing development still occurs without proper consideration of how trees and greenspace improve residents&#8217; quality of life.<\/p>\n<p>It is not an either\/or argument. With proper planning, you can have both new housing and good tree canopy cover.<\/p>\n<p>We should also be cautious of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/au.news.yahoo.com\/trees-butchered-by-power-company-highlight-common-problem-its-sad-012952515.html?guccounter=1\" target=\"_blank\">over-pruning<\/a> urban trees.<\/p>\n<p>Trees cannot eliminate the effects of a heat wave but can mitigate some of them.<\/p>\n<p>Anything that we can do to mitigate the urban heat island effect and keep our cities and towns cooler will reduce heat-related illness and associated medical costs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium mt-4\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Conversation<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/phys.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/to-keep-your-cool-in-a-heatwave-it-may-help-to-water-your-trees-246486\" target=\"_blank\">original article<\/a>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/246486\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTo keep your cool in a heat wave, it may help to water your trees (2025, February 5)<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tretrieved 5 February 2025<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfrom https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-02-cool-trees.html\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-02-cool-trees.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Credit: Unsplash\/CC0 Public Domain Heat waves are among the world&#8217;s deadliest weather hazards. Every year, vast numbers of people are killed by heat stress and it can worsen health problems such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease. Unfortunately, the bitumen roads, brick and concrete structures and roofing tiles in cities can absorb and retain vast&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":652352,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/house-tree.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-652351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/652351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=652351"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/652351\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/652352"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=652351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=652351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=652351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}