Trees are natural meters that can intelligently warn us of urban and rural surface and sub-surface water wastage.
Nozar Nozari, Ph.D. student of water and civil engineering, in an interview with an Amordad reporter, presented the results of his 6-year research regarding the plane trees of Tehran, which has been published in popular scientific journals. He writes: Native trees are nature’s meters to show the state of water and soil with the help of their roots. The intelligent nature’s meter can help management of surface and sub-surface water resources in cities and villages without using any energy. It is worth noting that about 30% of water is wasted annually through water pipes in the form of leakage. This water leakage or the bursting of the urban water network next to the trees creates gradual and immediate effects on native trees, which causes the trees to bend. In many areas, the role of trees is not only in water management, but they also help to purify the air and optimize energy consumption, etc. In this research, all the changes in the shape of the bent trees were investigated using the “tree man” application that was developed earlier, and it was found that none of the bending’s of native trees has anything to do with light, wind, and atmospheric factors such as snow, rain, etc. Due to the need for more accurate statistics, data was gathered through reports and objective observations.
The job of the roots of trees is to absorb minerals and transfer the tree’s weight to the ground, and it is the soil in which the tree roots grow to absorb water and minerals. In a few creative research, the mystery of zigzag pattern of Valiasr plane trees has been studied, by comparing structures such as electric light poles, traffic signs, city signs, etc., in order to eliminate the role of forces such as pests, wind, and sunlight that can cause tilting because it does not affect the above-mentioned structures which are not living beings. With the help of modeling with Abaqus software, the role of soil settlement due to water was verified as the reason for the bending of the tree.
Water crises is nothing new. Iran has faced water scarcity and people have created innovative ways for using water efficiently. The problem of fine dust, climate change, global warming, and soil subsidence due to excessive extraction of underground aquifers should be added to the water crisis. The results of the research indicate that in Tehran, the zigzag format is due to the sagging of one tree and its impact on the trees close to it. We can see a similar example happening in our body: if we hold two fingers as a sign of victory and bring one of the two fingers forward, the other finger will automatically go back. The one-way tilting pattern is connected to the problems of water and soil and because of the distance they won’t allow the trees to affect each other, therefore, they are bending on the other side. These patterns, because of the water and soil and the distance between the trees, will even impact other structures, such as city signs and traffic signs, etc. In Tehran, due to the construction system the metro stations are facing soil settlement, which by observing the trees around them it can be seen that there are no old trees, and it is even possible that the trees might fall during earthquakes, because of soil erosion. This same problem was experienced in Australia. The settlement of the soil of Tehran city, from the south towards the north, which can be seen in the many old trees in the southern parts of the city. This problem does not only belong to Valiasr street; this problem can also be seen in private properties and separate from the surface water system transfer and in city parks. This shows the severity of the problem. These cases in Tehran have been surveyed, but can pertain to all other cities, because the only solution for bending of the trees is to cut them under the present situation. But, with proper planning they can be saved.
Trees play a vital role in the management of water resources. With a lack of water, they suffer from dryness and subsidence in the soil. With excessive irrigation, they can be tilted due to the reduction of the soil’s shear force, the emergence of the roots from the soil, and the decline of the soil’s carrying capacity. Another thing that happens in the cities is the bursting of the urban water pipe network, which causes the soil to be washed away and the trees to bend, which requires a review of the water and sewage regulations of the cities to protect the trees. In this way, ordinary people or agents can quickly check the tilting of trees in a particular area by checking unique algorithms and checking if the problem is related to the management of water resources or bursting and leaking of water pipes or soil settlement and requires modern and advanced equipment is not. This research has been conducted for the first time in the world and the city of Tehran; because this problem has not been reported for years, it has been necessary to collect data, carefully investigate the incidents, and be present at the site.
