NewsWhy Trees

WHY TREES

Roots, trunk, leaves, branches and crown. These are the five main parts of a tree, one of the most crucial and vital organisms on earth. Trees have always supported and nurtured life. Our planet hosts approximately 73300 species of trees and each species exhibits an infinite range of shapes, textures, and colors (Gatti et al., 2022). The beauty of trees is immeasurable and the benefits they provide for the environment and humanity are countless.

Trees promote health and social well-being. Not a single day goes by that we don't see a tree. They are symbols of our everyday lives and identity since we see them everywhere such as in our gardens, neighborhoods, parks, city centers and so on. Even though they don't talk or move we tend to form emotional bonds with them, especially with the ones that we see daily. The presence of trees creates a sense of place and especially a sense of self in place. This gives us a feeling of stability and belonging and as the world around us changes, trees are always there to ground and comfort us. Additionally, it is proved that they improve the quality of our lives by decreasing negative thinking, depression and even violence and aggression in houses and neighborhoods. Also, they contribute to the development of stronger communities. Residents in neighborhoods with more trees have a greater sense of community, socialize more frequently, feel safer and more adjusted. Eco therapy which can refer to the planting and caring for trees is linked to good mental and physical health. How many times did you want to take a nature walk to breathe some fresh air and calm your mind?

Here comes another tremendous benefit of trees. They are the best air purifiers. One of the biggest environmental challenges our planet currently faces is air pollution. Factories, cars and truck exhausts, volcanoes, and wildfires are some of the factors that contribute to air pollution by emitting solid and liquid particles as well as gases into the atmosphere. High levels of air pollution increase the likelihood of blood pressure heart disease, respiratory infections and even lung cancer. Around 5-6 million die every year because of air pollution (Fuller et al., 2022). This is why is extremely important to plant more trees, particularly the right species in appropriate locations so we can breathe fresh and clean air and decrease morality rate.

Forests cover 31% of the earth's surface and are a natural habitat to 80% of terrestrial plant and animal species (FAO, 2022). The biodiversity one can encounter in a forest is unimaginable. One tree can support hundreds of different species of fungi, plants, insects and mammals. Their survival depends on trees since trees provide them with food, shelter and sites for reproduction, nesting, resting, and capturing prey. In return, trees are benefited from their inhabitants because they disperse seeds, control insects, and prevent them from overgrowing resulting in flourishing and healthy ecosystems.

Trees are a valuable asset to our communities because they stimulate our economic growth. They help to cool down cities by absorbing sunlight and reducing the amount of heat houses and buildings absorb. In addition, the shade trees provide slows down the deterioration of the road and sidewalk surfaces, encourages people to frequently shop in an area and raise property value. More people will want to rent or buy a property if it is a part of an attractive landscape with well-maintained trees. Also, correctly planted trees can decrease energy consumption and air conditioning use.

Trees are autotrophs because they produce their own food through a process called photosynthesis which is the conversion of light energy to chemical energy in the form of sugars. Humans and countless other species owe their existence to photosynthesis which takes place in the leaves of plants and trees. Tiny openings on the leaf surface called stomata absorb carbon dioxide and water from the atmosphere and soil. Then, the carbon dioxide gains electrons whereas the water loses electrons. This converts carbon dioxide into glucose and water into the oxygen we breathe to live.

The capturing and storing of carbon dioxide by trees are called carbon sequestration. Forests can remove about 30% of our carbon emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels (Colarossi, 2022). Forests that absorb more carbon than they release are called carbon sinks. Trees store the carbon in their roots, trunk, branches and leaves. After trees die the carbon is stored in the soil as dead organic matter and then it slowly returns to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas since it absorbs and re-emits infrared energy which half of it is lost to space and the other half is trapped as heat in the earth's surface. This creates the greenhouse effect which contributes to global warming and climate change. Forests play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration.

Finally, trees are known as amazing allies against flooding. Root systems allow water to penetrate the soil deeper and faster and they help to hold the soil in place reducing soil erosion. Also leaves, branches and trunks canopies get in the way of rainfall before it reaches the ground and some of it never even hits the ground because it evaporates back into the air. This decreases the amount of rainfall runoff. In addition, trees serve as natural water cleaners because they filter out pollutants and sediments from rain before entering our rivers, lakes and homes.

This article would never end if we were to list all the benefits trees have to offer. They are truly the most precious gift nature has given us. Life on earth would be impossible without them and our planet would look completely hostile. It is our responsibility to conserve them and plant more of them in order to maximize our life quality and protect our planet's biodiversity.

References

Cazzolla Gatti, R. et al. (2022) "The number of tree species on Earth," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(6).

Fuller, R. et al. (2022) "Pollution and health: A progress update," The Lancet Planetary Health, 6(6).

The state of the world's forests 2020 (no date) www.fao.org.

Benton, T. et al. (2022) City trees and soil are sucking more carbon out of the atmosphere than previously thought, Boston University.