A whole new type of wood discovered by scientists might help do something extraordinary despite its lackluster name: Midwood, as it’s called, could help in the fight against climate change.
Wood usually falls into two major categories: hardwoods and softwoods. Oak maple and mahogany are examples of hardwoods, while cedar, pine, and spruce are all softwoods. The primary differences between the two are in their cellular structure and reproductive methods. But now scientists have called attention to another common difference: the microfibrils, a key feature of a woody plant’s anatomy.
Macrofibrils are bundles of smaller fibers in plant cell walls that contribute to wood’s overall structure and strength. At the microscopic level, a hardwood tree often has macrofibrils around 15 nanometers in diameter, while a softwood is around 25 nanometers. A midwood is exactly as it sounds like—it fits somewhere in between.
The particular tree in question that’s upending the tree world is the tulip: specifically, the American tulip tree called the Liriodendron tulipifera, or tulip poplar, and its Chinese tulip tree relative, Liriodendron chinense. The nanoscale architecture of both is suited to absorb huge amounts of CO2. On top of that, tulip trees grow extremely fast.
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Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Jagiellonian University used low-temperature scanning electron microscopy to analyze hydrated wood samples. They found that the unique internal structure of the tulip trees made them significantly better suited to capture carbon than hardwood and softwoods. Tulip trees were able to absorb 2 to 6 times more carbon than trees around them in the same forest.
Tulip trees can get up to 150 feet tall. They are often used to make furniture or musical instruments. But now after it’s been discovered that they can gobble up tons of CO2, it might have some other applications besides playing “Wonderwall” with an acoustic guitar or sitting on as you play “Wonderwall” with an acoustic guitar.
It’s going to take a lot more than planting some trees to reverse the effects of climate change, but this discovery is making the researchers wonder what other trees out there fall into the midwood category because if there are they could play a key role in detoxifying our air.
