Can Trees Help Beat the Heat? A Forest Science Adventure!

Photo by Bart Ros: https://www.pexels.com/photo/sunlight-between-trees-in-forest-10915473/

Think back to the hottest day you can remember. Did the heat make you feel tired or unwell? Standing in the sun without any shade can be really uncomfortable! In Europe (and in many other parts of the world), summers are getting hotter and hotter. This is because of climate change.

Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/sun-301599/

Finding new ways to cope with this heat is very important, since we’re likely to see even hotter summers in the future.

Maybe you’ve noticed how nice it feels to walk in a cool forest on a hot day, enjoying the shade of the trees. But did you know that the types of trees in a forest can actually affect how cool the area feels? This is something scientists have recently discovered.

Could the right trees really make our summers more bearable? Let’s explore!

Photo by Degleex Ganzorig on Unsplash

What’s the Difference Between Global Warming and Local Warming?

Have you seen stories about climate change or global warming in the news recently? You’ve probably heard a lot about the planet getting hotter, but local warming doesn’t get as much attention, even though it’s also a big deal!

Global warming is about how the whole planet is gradually heating up. Local warming is more about how hot it is in specific places, like your town or city.

Both are serious. Our bodies struggle in extreme heat, and people can even get very sick. In fact, heatwaves actually cause many deaths in Europe every year. And it’s not just humans,  hot temperatures affect plants, making it harder for them to grow, and animals like cows can struggle too. Together, this means that future heatwaves could make it harder to grow the food we need.

Photo by Md. Hasanuzzaman Himel on Unsplash

How Scientists Tested Which Trees Keep Forests Cooler

So what did the scientists actually do? They used fancy computer programs to “imagine” what would happen if we changed the types of trees in forests. By giving the computer lots of information, they could see how different trees affected the temperature around them.

They found that broadleaved trees, like oak or ash, keep the surrounding area cooler than forests made up of coniferous trees — the kind that look like Christmas trees! The temperature change wasn’t huge, but it was noticeable. (for more info on the differences between the two types of trees have a look at the video below).

Why Some Trees Keep Forests Cooler Than Others

1. Colour
   1. Broadleaved trees are generally lighter in colour, so they reflect more sunlight.
   1. Dark-green conifers, like fir and spruce, absorb more of the sun’s energy. This helps them survive cold winters, but with hot summers becoming more common, it makes the area around them warmer.
   1. It’s a bit like how you feel cooler wearing a white T-shirt on a hot day than a black one.
2. Natural Air Conditioning
   1. Broadleaved trees act like giant air conditioners, releasing water vapor that cools the air around them.
   1. Coniferous trees with needles don’t release as much water, so they cool the air less.
3. Air Movement
   1. As air moves through a broadleaf forest, it hits the leaves and moves in all different directions. This means hot air close to the ground can move up and cool down.
   1. Conifers are more like rows of soldiers, tall and uniform, which makes it harder for air to move, trapping hot air close to the ground.

Photo by Len Rempel on Unsplash

How Tiny Temperature Changes Can Matter for People, Plants, and Animals

Even though the temperature changes in this study are pretty small,less than one degree, small changes can still make a big difference. For example:

• If the weather is just a little hotter during the growing season, some crops like wheat or corn might produce a lot less food, which could make it harder to have enough to eat.
• Animals like cows and sheep have temperatures where they feel comfortable (roughly 10–30 °C). If it gets hotter than that, they eat less and don’t grow as well, which can make it harder for farmers to take care of them.

Even a small cooling effect on the hottest summer days can help people, plants, and animals stay safer and more comfortable.

Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash

It’s important to remember: changing the tree type doesn’t cool the whole planet. These measures won’t stop climate change, they help us cope with the heat locally, making really hot days a bit easier to handle. It’s a bit like wearing a sun hat: it cools your head, but it doesn’t make the sun any cooler!

How Trees Can Help with Both Global Warming and Local Heat

We know that trees are really important for the planet. All trees soak up carbon dioxide, which helps slow down global warming, that means they’re helping the whole Earth.

Reforestation is like nature's superhero, swooping in to save the day! Here's how it tackles global warming, climate change, pollution, and helps wildlife:

Carbon Sinks: Trees are like the ultimate carbon vacuum cleaners. They suck up CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in… pic.twitter.com/c6XMZ8OYjX

— Treemissions (@treemissions) June 12, 2025

This study shows something extra: if we choose the right types of trees, they can also help with local warming, making specific places cooler during heatwaves. Broadleaved trees like oak or ash do both: they store carbon for the planet and keep the air cooler nearby.

But this study comes with some important reminders. The temperature changes are small, so switching tree types is not a magic fix for heatwaves. Forests are just one tool in a bigger toolbox to help us cope with hotter summers, alongside things like shade in cities, clever ways to save water, and heatwave plans.

Changing forests takes time and work, but with careful planning, it can be done. Even a small cooling effect can make a real difference during really hot days.

The Clever Way Forests Can Help Us Beat the Heat

It would be wonderful if we could only focus on stopping climate change, without needing to adapt at all. But because the Earth is getting hotter, it’s important to find ways for people, animals, and plants to stay safe during scorching summers.

Switching tree types can cool local areas, helping forests, farms, and communities cope with heatwaves. It’s not a solution to global warming, but it’s a clever way forests can give us a helping hand,  like nature’s own little air conditioner.

Science is awesome. So is asking questions.

Learn how to tell real science stories from made-up ones with our fun, easy 4-step checklist — it’s printable and free! Grab yours below.

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