Level 5 Quiz
1/10 Shade Trees for Energy Efficiency Solar heat absorbed through windows and roofs increases cooling costs, and incorporating shade trees helps reduce this heat gain. Shading and transpiration (the process by which a plant actively moves and releases water vapor) from trees can reduce surrounding air temperatures by as much as 6°F. Because cool air settles near the ground, air temperatures directly under trees can be as much as 25°F cooler than those above nearby blacktop surfaces. Designing landscapes for effective use of trees requires knowledge of the size, shape, and location of the moving tree’s shadow. To provide continuous shade or to block heavy winds, use dense evergreen trees or shrubs. To block solar heat in the summer but to let much of it in during the winter, use deciduous trees. Planting deciduous trees with high, spreading crowns (i.e., leaves and branches) to the south side of a home provides maximum summertime roof shading. Trees with crowns lower to the ground are ...