Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)
2022-Nov-17
Science Daily
This article summarizes a study based in Portland, Oregon that covers a 30-year span of street tree planting and documents the correlation with human mortality rates based on the number of trees planted. The results show that in neighbourhoods with more trees planted, mortality rates (deaths per 100,000 persons) were lower. This negative association was significant for cardiovascular and non-accidental mortality (that is, all causes excluding accidents), particularly for males and people over the age of 65. Furthermore, the association got stronger as trees aged and grew: the reduction in mortality rate associated with trees planted 11-15 years before (30%) was double that observed with trees planted in the preceding 1-5 years (15%). This means that older trees are associated with larger mortality decreases, and preserving existing mature trees may be particularly important for public health.
Tags: planting trees, mortality rate
Comentários