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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。

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