Boston Glboe: Is a tree trying to survive in the city better off than a tree growing in the forest? The obvious answer would seem to be "no': City trees face pollution, poor soil, and a root system disrupted by asphalt and pipes.
But when ecologists at Boston University took core samples from trees around Eastern Massachusetts, they found a surprise: Boston street trees grow twice as fast as trees outside the city. Over time, the more development increased around them, the faster they grew.
Why? If you're...