Why Are Trees Important

Can we actually combat global warming and climate change with more trees?

Trees are important, valuable and necessary to our very existence. It's not too hard to believe that, without trees we humans would not exist on this beautiful planet. Our existing forest and the trees we plant work in tandem to make a better world.

1. Trees Produce Oxygen

Let's face it, we could not exist as we do if there were no trees. A mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as 10 people inhale in a year. What many people don't realize is the forest also acts as a giant filter that cleans the air we breath.

2. Trees Are Carbon Sinks

To produce its food, a tree absorbs and locks away carbon dioxide in the wood , roots and leaves. Carbon dioxide is a global warming suspect. A forest is a carbon storage area or a "sink" that can lock up as much carbon as it produces. This locking-up process "stores" carbon as wood and not as an available "greenhouse" gas.

3. Trees Clean the Air

Trees help cleanse the air by intercepting airborne particles, reducing heat , and absorbing such pollutants as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Trees remove this air pollution by lowering air temperature, through respiration, and by retaining particulates.

4. Trees Clean the Soil

The term phytoremediation is a fancy word for the absorption of dangerous chemicals and other pollutants that have entered the soil. Trees can either store harmful pollutants or actually change the pollutant into less harmful forms. Trees filter sewage and farm chemicals, reduce the effects of animal wastes, clean roadside spills and clean water runoff into streams.

5. Trees Control Noise Pollution

Trees muffle urban noise almost as effectively as stone walls. Trees, planted at strategic poin ts in a neighborhood or around your house, can abate major noises from highways and airports.

6. Trees Slow Storm Water Runoff

Flash flooding can be dramatically reduced by a forest or by plant ing tre es. Underground water-holding aquifers are recharged with this slowing down of water runoff.

7. Trees Act as Windbreaks

During windy and cold seasons, trees located on the windward side act as win dbreaks. A reduction in wind can also reduce the drying effect on soil and vegetation behind the windbreak and help keep precious topsoil in place.

8. Trees Fight Soil Erosion

Erosion control has always started with tree and grass planting projects. Tr ee roots bi nd the soil and their leaves break the force of wind and rain on soil. Trees fight soil erosion, conserve rainwater and reduce water runoff and sediment deposit after storms.

9. Trees Shade and Cool

Shade resulting in cooling is what a tree is best known for. Shade from trees reduces the need for air conditioning.

10. Trees Increase Property Value

Real estate value increase when trees beautify a property or neighborhood.

Source: http://forestry.about.com/od/treephysiology/tp/tree_value.htm