Trees & Sound

KevinS

KevinS

Branched out member
Location
ontario
Does anyone know of any reports, papers, etc. that cover how trees deal with noise?

I’m not looking for the 100’ sound belts but rather urban trees, street boulevard trees if I’m being picky.

Tree sets with urban spacing and larger crown cover over amenities. Roads, sidewalks, driveways, etc.

Thanks
 
JD3000 said:
You mean as reducing sound?
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How they effect sound.

I’ve heard and read lots that say trees deal with pollution. Air pollution, visual pollution and noise pollution all pollution.

I agree in general but find this broad as I focused on sound. Bush lots, tree belts etc can make things quieter along roadways etc but if you have just regular boulevard trees in an urban setting they’re spaced out in a single row often.

How does this interact with sound amplifier or dampener I’m open to papers for either side
 
I wasn’t either til lately. But I find if you want to tell someone they’re wrong about something you best learn the right answer so I started looking.

As well, it’s misunderstood so education is the key to that
 
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KevinS said:
Does anyone know of any reports, papers, etc. that cover how trees deal with noise?

I’m not looking for the 100’ sound belts but rather urban trees, street boulevard trees if I’m being picky.

Tree sets with urban spacing and larger crown cover over amenities. Roads, sidewalks, driveways, etc.

Thanks
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I have seen some do a row planting in a raised bed so the first couple feet is earth reflecting/dampening noise. I don’t know if this is worth bringing in the fill and equipment.
 
Twenty years ago our college professors made it clear to us that the sound dampening effects of trees was purely psychological to those on the “quiet” side of trees. I haven’t seen any text disputing that or confirming this. Sounds like someone needs to be a long term study on the topic!
 
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flyingsquirrel25 said:
Twenty years ago our college professors made it clear to us that the sound dampening effects of trees was purely psychological to those on the “quiet” side of trees. I haven’t seen any text disputing that or confirming this. Sounds like someone needs to be a long term study on the topic!
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There are actually study’s with thing like cedar hedge rows. It’s been said that if general people can see the noise(traffic) there brain expects the noise so they rate it as quieter than behind the hedge when you can’t see it your brain finds it noisier. Phsyco sematic is the results found in some studies
 
KevinS said:
Does anyone know of any reports, papers, etc. that cover how trees deal with noise?...
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Sylvia did some research on this and found an article that disputed and clarified the over-generalized statement that trees reduce noise pollution. I will have her look it up and post it.
 
flyingsquirrel25 said:
Twenty years ago our college professors made it clear to us that the sound dampening effects of trees was purely psychological to those on the “quiet” side of trees. I haven’t seen any text disputing that or confirming this. Sounds like someone needs to be a long term study on the topic!
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The older Harris books go in to it quite a bit. Basically it's pointless unless it's 100' thick planting width. If you really need the info I can flip through the book. There were some exceptions with low range I believe.. I've been told a fence is more effective than a 2 layer hedge row
 
evo said:
The older Harris books go in to it quite a bit. Basically it's pointless unless it's 100' thick planting width. If you really need the info I can flip through the book. There were some exceptions with low range I believe.. I've been told a fence is more effective than a 2 layer hedge row
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Sweet! I went back and looked in my text books and sure enough you are pretty spot on.
Arboriculture: integrated management of landscape trees, shrubs and vines (third edition) 1999
Harris, Clark & Matheny
2CDC7E3A-B56E-420A-AB37-D9BB5F918EF9.webp

If you look in the caption to the chart they make mention of a study maybe, from 1971.
 
Absolutely I agree and have seen loads of work saying the same thing that fact is pretty solid.

My conversation that got me here is what do urban let’s say specifically boulevard trees what and how do they effect sound.

Let’s say you have complete canopy cover over a a block worth of street. It’s canopy is 65’ of crown say on thick no way maples.

What effect do they have? So I get sound barriers but what do they do
 
Absolutely I agree and have seen loads of work saying the same thing that fact is pretty solid.

My conversation that got me here is what do urban let’s say specifically boulevard trees what and how do they effect sound.

Let’s say you have complete canopy cover over a a block worth of street. It’s canopy is 65’ of crown
DSMc said:
None what so ever on sound suppression.
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I heat you but do they make it louder with reflection as some studies show trees blowing in the wind is just one more sound to pile onto the rest.

I’m not saying good or bad but a street 100% canopy cove to 0% canopy cover there has to be some sort of difference between 0-100 good, bad minor, major but there is something
 
If you get an instrument with enough sensitivity you will no doubt get a measurement of some sort, but so what? All the research says the same thing, that sound reduction, and suppression is not something that trees are good at. That's OK, it does not diminish all that they can do.
 
DSMc said:
If you get an instrument with enough sensitivity you will no doubt get a measurement of some sort, but so what? All the research says the same thing, that sound reduction, and suppression is not something that trees are good at. That's OK, it does not diminish all that they can do.
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Great point. Don't claim trees do something they don't do...it can serve to diminish their real value in people's minds when they realize (A) is false, they are now going to wonder about claim (B), and so on.

Admit a concrete wall is a better sound barrier...but it is ugly, a massive resource sink to produce, limits natural habitats, etc.... while trees provide beauty, habitat, absorb CO2/produce O2, provide shade, clean the air, etc...
 
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