On a scorching Miami afternoon, a patch of shade can feel like an entirely different climate. Beneath a mature tree, the pavement feels less punishing and the heat becomes easier to escape. That cooling effect is at the center of research by Florida International University scientists, who have spent more than two years studying trees across Miami-Dade County.
Their work involving more than 9,000 urban trees suggests that trees are not simply part of a city's landscaping. Their size, species, location and canopy can make a meaningful difference to urban temperatures.
