Which Trees Fight Global Warming the Best

To most people planting trees to combat global warming seems pretty obvious. Before you rush out to the nearest tree nursery and buy up their inventory there are some things you need to know. Some trees are more productive at processing carbon dioxide than others. There are even instances where certain trees can make global warming worse. Where you plant trees is just as important as the type of tree you plant.

Trees are great at catching and storing carbon dioxide before it reaches the upper atmosphere, where it does the most damage. Mind you, any plant that uses photosynthesis will absorb carbon dioxide, but trees do it better simply because they are bigger. So, planting bigger trees is the key? No, not really. Keep reading and find out how it all works.

The very basic rule of combating global warming with trees is the faster a tree grows and the longer it lives, the better it is at staving off the warming process. Here lies the first problem. Most trees that grow fast don't live as long as slower growing trees. Conversely, longer-lived trees don't grow very fast, but they store a lot more carbon during their long years. Also, the denser the tree, the better it is at removing CO2 from the atmosphere. So which is the best?

Depending on the location, the answer is different. In places that have a lot of snow, trees can actually have a warming effect on the planet. The sun is normally reflected off the snow and back into the space. Trees in those areas absorb and trap that heat. On a small scale of a few dozen trees, this really doesn't mean much. Up in the frozen north, were there are literally billions of trees, stretching along for hundreds of miles, all that absorbed warmth is enough to work against us in the fight against global warming. Yes, those trees are still processing carbon dioxide, but the warmth they produce outweighs the carbon they absorb.

Down in the tropics, there's another story being told. The vast expanses of jungle and tropical forest absorb carbon dioxide. They also cover the earth with their giant canopies. In hot climates, those canopies block the sunlight from reaching the earth and heating it up. They also have the added benefit of helping cloud buildup which also helps cool things down. This is due to the tremendous amount of evaporation they cause. As you move farther away from the equator, those benefits slowly decrease. Can you see the pattern forming? The trees do the same thing in each area, but with different effects. In cold regions absorption of sunlight causes warming. In warmer climates, it causes cooling.

This means that all the deforestation occurring in tropical areas is accelerating global warming. If we were to do the same amount of clearing in high-latitude climates, it would actually help cool the earth down. In effect, the very trees we are protecting are part of the global warming problem. The trees in the lower latitudes were counter-balancing those in the higher latitudes. Now that the scales have been tipped, we are noticing a warming trend.

This doesn't mean that those of us living in mid-latitude areas like North America and Europe can't or shouldn't do anything in regard to trees. In fact, there are a number of trees people in these areas can plant that are excellent at absorbing carbon dioxide, including Chestnut and Walnut trees, Virginia Live Oak, Bald Cypress and most types of oak, fir and pine trees. Poplars and hardwoods are also great for CO2 processing. When it comes down to it, just about any tree that normally grows in the area is an appropriate one to plant.

Here are some final tips regarding tree planting. Plant trees in areas with a lot of concrete and asphalt, to catch the massive amounts of CO2 escaping. Planting trees near in urban and industrial centers will go along way to combat global warming as well. Around homes and other structures, planting shade trees will help reduce the carbon footprint of those buildings. Avoid trees that are susceptible to diseases and those needing a lot of trimming or maintenance. Planting any tree is better than planting none at all. If you're going to go through all the trouble of finding a tree and planting it, take a few extra minutes to discover how to get the most out of your efforts.