Eco-solutions: Kyiv begins planting storm-resistant trees to combat extreme weather

Photo:facebook.com/oleksandr.voznyy

Ulyana Guz

Municipal enterprises of Kyiv, which are engaged in landscaping, are tasked with choosing plants from the point of view of resistance to windstorms and urban conditions.

Oleksandr Voznyy, director of the Department of Environmental Protection and Adaptation to Climate Change of the Kyiv City State Administration, reported this.

What is the problem?

On October 28, Kyiv experienced hurricane-force winds, resulting in the deaths of two people, injuries from falling branches and trees, damaged cars, and blocked highways.

According to Voznyy, during the storm on October 28, more than 1,300 trees were felled or damaged.

With this in mind, sycamore trees resistant to storms and urban growing conditions are being planted today.

What is the solution?

Autumn landscaping of the city continues in the capital, intensified after the recent unprecedented damage caused by a storm.

^{Photo: facebook.com/oleksandr.voznyy}

Communal workers finished eliminating its consequences literally yesterday, and today, they actively started planting young green plantations.

^{Photo: facebook.com/oleksandr.voznyy}

How does it work?

"All our Communal enterprises for the maintenance of green spaces were tasked to approach the selection of plants responsibly. Preference is given to breeds resistant to urban conditions," he noted.

^{Photo: facebook.com/oleksandr.voznyy}

Yes, sycamores were planted near the Boryspilska metro station.

"Also, special attention is paid to care – in particular, timely watering of green areas, support and fixation of young trees," the official said.

In addition to the 50 recently planted trees of this species, another 90 sycamores will soon be planted in the Darnytsia district.

^{Photo: facebook.com/oleksandr.voznyy}

In general, since the beginning of the autumn season, the following have been planted in the capital:

• more than 1700 trees,
• almost 24,000 bushes,
• about 900,000 perennial flowers.

For reference:

^{Photo: Wikipedia}

Sycamore is a small genus of trees that originates from the northern hemisphere, the only modern genus of the sycamore family (Platanaceae). In the Caucasus, it is known as a plane tree, and in North America as a sycamore.

These trees are typically large and deciduous (except for Platanus kerrii) and tend to thrive in riparian and other moist environments in the wild. However, they are pretty tolerant of drought when grown outside of stream and river settings.

The tree's trunk is cylindrical and can reach 50 m in height and 18 meters in circumference. Plane trees live sometimes even more than two thousand years.

In the hot season, the sycamore sheds its greenish-gray bark, exposing the entire trunk. The leaves are alternate, finger-lobate, on long petioles.

The fruit is a complex nut that remains on the tree throughout the winter and splits into individual nuts in the spring, blown away by the wind.

On the night of October 5 in Kyiv, Christer's oak, which, according to various versions, is 500 to 700 years old, was damaged by a strong wind.

In Kyiv, at the intersection of Oles Honchar and Bohdan Khmelnytskyi streets, the previous Zoia Kosmodemianska Square has been renovated. The new space is now known as Acoustic Park.

Rubryka also covered the topic of what to do with fallen leaves during autumn.