How trees in urban areas are key to cooling down a warmer world

Planting new forests may be a low-cost way to combat warming temperatures in urban areas, suggests a new study. In a large-scale field experiment, researchers planted 640 tree saplings across 20 parks in Dayton, Ohio, and implemented varying irrigation methods. After monitoring sapling survival, growth and health in response to their irrigation methods and nearby temperatures, the team found that the effects of both water treatment and surrounding heat varied among tree species.