Do you purposely park under shade in the summer? Do you feel the difference in temperatures between an urban setting and a park?

While you may not have been thinking about science when parking under the shade or feeling the harsh heat over pavement, you are already reacting to what scientists call the Urban Heat Island Effect. In a natural environment, tree canopies absorb a great deal of the sun’s energy, creating a cooler atmosphere beneath. A natural flooring such as dirt absorbs far less heat energy than a man-made impervious surface such as asphalt or cement. Impervious surfaces do not allow water to pass through and also absorb a large amount of heat. In an urban setting, the natural canopy has been destroyed, allowing the sun’s energy to reach the impervious surface below where it is absorbed. These surfaces radiate heat, keeping an urban environment’s temperature warmer by as much as 10°F compared to a natural environment in the same area. Not only is the added 10°F not welcome, but the added heat disrupts the ecosystem for plants and animals. Heat is known to exacerbate air pollution problems such as smog and ground-level ozone, both of which trigger asthma.

Paving over open spaces in the Richland Natural Area would bring these unintended consequences.