MOE Planted 8,000 Tulip-Poplars on the Occasion of the 65th Arbor Day

The Ministry of Environment held a tree-planting event and planted 8,000 tulip-poplars with the participation by 800 including officials of the ministry and residents in SUDOKWON Landfill Site Management Corporation on March 17, 2010. As the average temperature in March from 2000 to 2009 rose by 2~3℃, the event was held 19 days before the Arbor Day (April 5th) to better adapt to the climate change.

It is expected that 8,000 tulip-poplars (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), which are remarkable in absorbing carbon dioxide will absorb 317 tons of CO2 annually. An annual absorption of CO2 by a 30-year-old tulip-poplar is 39.6kg, 3.3times larger than that by pine tree of the same age. Its ozone absorption rate is also high (245.3u mol/m²/h).

In addition, tulip-poplar is an alternative energy source with high utilization and suitable for biomass fuel because its rate of growth is twice or third times higher than that of other trees such as nut pine and a larch.

The ministry designated this week (March 15 ~ 20) as tree planting week and 2,260 from its subsidiary organizations planted 15,800 trees during this period. The ministry also said it would continuously hold tree planting events to respond to climate change.

Hyeong-geun Song, Yeong-du Cho (+82-2-2110-6569) / General Service Division, The Ministry of Environment