THE EARLY MORNING sun filtered through the trees onto parkland in Milton Keynes, where a group of people were sitting chatting on the grass. But this was no summer picnic - the revellers were volunteers, and they were hard at work.
Their task? To remove every last leaf from every last branch of a freshly felled London plane tree, and to do so as quickly as possible - all in the name of science.
These days we have satellites, drones and laser-scanning technology to unravel the complexities of forests, such as how dense they are and how much carbon they store. But there is one question scientists have not managed to answer, particularly for the trees in our towns and cities: how many leaves do they have? Or, more accurately, what is their total leaf area?
This is what those people in the park were helping to find out, in a research project led by scientist Kate Hand. "Leaf area is a really important metric when it comes to estimating the benefits of urban trees," says Kate. "Trees are an essential part of urban nature - if you live in an area that doesn't have trees, you really notice the difference."
We know only too well the value of the 'urban forest'. Aside from making us feel good and there's plenty of evidence linking greenery with mental health and wellbeing - trees perform a number of vital ecological services.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2022 من BBC Wildlife.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2022 من BBC Wildlife.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Flightless birds
Our pick of 10 curious birds that have lost the ability to fly
ALL YOU EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT THE Shoebill
THIS PREHISTORIC-LOOKING BIRD IS affectionately known by some as 'king of the marshes' as it is huge (up to 1.5m tall with a 2.4m wingspan) and resides in the freshwater marshes and swamps of East Africa.
Slime: protector, lubricant and glue
GOO, GUNGE, GUNK... WHILE THERE are many names for the stuff that makes things slippery or sticky, slime isn't a single material but a label for a variety of substances with similar physical properties. Those qualities are desirable to many living things, which is why slime is made by such a wide range of organisms.
How do parrots learn to swear?
THERE ARE FEW THINGS AS GLORIOUSLY entertaining as the effing and blinding of a potty-mouthed parrot.
Why are walruses so chubby?
AS A GENERAL RULE, TERRESTRIAL mammals are furry, while aquatic ones are fat. It doesn't work across the board: sea otters rarely leave the water but have the densest fur of any mammal.
What is the lotus effect?
WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF WATCHING the clock on the wall of a dentist's waiting room, you can always pass a bit of time with a rummage through the bowl of fragrant botanical wonders next to the leaflets about expensive cosmetic work.
Are there any plants in Antarctica?
CONTINENTS DON'T COME ANY MORE inhospitable than Antarctica, where life must contend with the longest, darkest, coldest winters and a year-round blanket of snow and ice.
LANDLORD OF THE WILD
The humble aardvark is seldom praised for its work digging out homes for other animals
CRACK DOWN
As the new Amazon drama Poacher hits our screens, we take a look at the fight to end ivory poaching in India
Wild words
Spending time observing and writing about the natural world can be transformational