Beijing's municipal authorities say they will not cut down the city's mature poplar and willow trees despite the annual "catkin nuisance", arguing that the ecological benefits of the towering trees cannot be easily replaced.

北京市有关部门表示，尽管每年都会出现"杨柳飞絮困扰"，但不会砍伐城市中已长成的杨树和柳树，理由是这些高大树木带来的生态效益难以轻易替代。

"Because of their outstanding advantages — fast growth, dense shade, strong carbon sequestration, and low cost — large-scale or onetime removal of mature poplar and willow trees is not feasible," said Jiang Yingshu, director of the science and technology division at the Beijing Municipal Forestry and Parks Bureau.

北京市园林绿化局科技处处长姜英淑表示："杨树柳树具有生长迅速、遮荫效果好、固碳能力强、成本低廉等显著优势，对已成年的杨树柳树进行大规模或一次性移除并不可行。"

Jiang noted that trees with a diameter of 30 centimeters are typically 30 to 40 years old. Replacing them with saplings of five to six centimeters would take another three to four decades to achieve the same ecological impact, such as water and soil conservation. Instead of a blanket removal, the city is gradually replacing aged and weak female trees, which produce the fluffy seeds.

姜英淑指出，直径30厘米的树木树龄通常在30至40年。若用五六厘米的树苗替换，要再等三四十年才能达到同等的水土保持等生态效果。因此，北京市并未采取一刀切的移除方式，而是逐步更替那些产生飞絮的老龄、衰弱的雌株。

The catkin season in Beijing began on April 6 and is expected to end in late May.

北京今年的飞絮期自4月6日开始，预计将持续至5月下旬。

In response, the city has launched a multi-agency action plan. Landscaping teams use high-pressure water sprays on tree canopies, followed by sanitation crews cleaning the road surfaces to create what the bureau calls a "closed-loop control system".

为此，北京启动了多部门联动的治理行动。园林部门使用高压水枪对树冠进行喷淋，随后环卫部门清扫路面，形成该局所称的"防控闭环"。

The city has established more than 100 monitoring sites to track the catkin cycle. Officials hold daily consultations with landscaping and meteorological experts, releasing forecasts through official channels and dedicated alerts.

北京全市已设立百余处监测点追踪飞絮周期。相关部门每日与园林绿化和气象专家会商，通过官方渠道和专项提示发布预报。

To address the problem at the source, the city is collaborating with research institutions and universities. They have collected nearly 400 superior germplasm resources of low-catkin or catkin-free trees, resulting in 16 improved varieties and 100,000 cultivated seedlings.

为从源头解决问题，北京正与科研院所及高校合作。目前已收集近400份低絮或无絮优良种质资源，选育出16个优良品种，繁育种苗达10万株。

Additionally, workers are using an environmentally friendly, nontoxic coagulant to form an "ecological film" on the canopies. Applied through high-pressure fog cannons or drones, the film reduces catkin dispersal by more than two-thirds for each tree. The substance degrades naturally under rain and sunlight.

此外，工作人员还使用一种环保无毒的高分子凝聚剂，在树冠表面形成一层"生态保护膜"。通过高压雾炮或无人机喷洒后，该薄膜可使单株树木飞絮量减少三分之二以上。这种物质在雨水和日照下可自然降解。

Wu Di, a resident in Beijing's Dongcheng district, said the government should do more to communicate these efforts to the public.

家住东城区的居民吴迪表示，政府部门应将相关工作进展更主动地向公众说明。

"In fact, many of our concerns are precisely what these departments are already working on," Wu said.

吴迪说："其实老百姓关心的很多问题，正是这些部门已经在着手解决的。"

"While taking practical actions on the ground, authorities must also proactively meet the public's right to know by providing clear explanations and thoughtful guidance," Wu added.

吴迪补充道："在实干的同时，有关部门也应主动回应公众的知情权，做好解释说明和引导工作。"

poplar /ˈpɑːplər/杨树

catkin nuisance /ˈkætkɪn ˈnuːsns/飞絮困扰

carbon sequestration /ˈkɑːrbən ˌsiːkwəˈstreɪʃn/碳封存；固碳

sapling /ˈsæplɪŋ/树苗；幼树

water and soil conservation /ˈwɔːtər ənd sɔɪl ˌkɑːnsərˈveɪʃn/水土保持

germplasm /ˈdʒɜːrmˌplæzəm/种质

coagulant /koʊˈæɡjələnt/凝结剂；凝聚剂

英语新闻丨北京应对"杨柳飞絮困扰"