Montreal Study: Tree Layout Shapes Day & Night Cooling
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- Concordia researchers measured temperature and humidity in 13 Montreal parks to compare open grass, dispersed tree clusters, and dense tree clusters.
- Lingshan Li (lead author) notes that tree configuration matters as much as tree quantity for thermal comfort.
- Urban Forestry and Urban Greening published the study, highlighting that dense clusters cool strongly by day but retain heat at night.
- Dense tree clusters provide the strongest daytime shade and evapotranspiration, yet delay nighttime heat release, raising night temperatures.
- Open grass areas are hotter in daylight but cool quickly after sunset, offering better nighttime comfort; humidity (wet‑bulb temperature) moderates these differences.
Why it matters: The study of 13 Montreal parks shows redesigning tree density can cut nighttime heat, benefiting park visitors.
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