habitat, etc. This post looks at the aspect of air quality.
A major criticism of cities is the poor quality of air, the high levels of pollution and the heat island effect. These are all consequence of large areas of hard surfaces and little area of vegetation. Vegetation is the most effective way of improving air quality through the process in which trees take in carbon dioxide and expel oxygen.
By basing some calculations on the amount of oxygen a rainforest produces (calculated by known oxygen production per leaf area and known leaf area of a rainforest per sqm) and the amount of oxygen humans require the benefit of such a rainforest can be quantified.
Calculations were based on information from 'Biophilic and Bioclimatic Architecture' by Amjad Almusaed and a 1998 media release by the Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation Project, Newcastle, NSW.
