The more you understand about trees, the better. Understanding how trees protect us and improve our quality of life is a way to make better decisions for your family's future.
Trees serve a variety of purposes and we ought to appreciate their importance. The benefits of trees are endless, not only to people but to the environment as well.
One benefit of trees is their ability to stop climate change. It was recently discovered that trees can absorb about half of their carbon dioxide emissions by storing it underground.
This works well in the face of climate change because plants can slow down the rate at which the earth's surface warms. By using trees to absorb carbon dioxide, we can greatly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we produce.
Trees have an incredible ability to absorb water. If you live in a place where the rainfall is heavy during certain times of the year, trees will soak up that water. They store that water for later use, reducing pressure on rivers and streams.
Another great benefit of trees is the fact that they provide shade. Shade is a valuable resource in hot climates where it is very difficult to control temperature from outside.
Trees can play a large role in controlling erosion. Erosion is one of the leading causes of flooding, landslides, and mudflows. With trees planted in the right locations, they can reduce the rate at which water flows out of streams, saving money and lives.
While it may seem counterintuitive, growing trees is good for people who live in places where the soil is heavy and needs trees. The trees will help the people grow food and become healthier.
Trees also help when problems like drought come into play. In those areas where trees don't grow, there is less of a chance for such natural disasters to strike.
Trees can also be quite useful in filtering out some of the harmful things like pollutants. This keeps you free of some of the air pollution that's put off by various industrial activities. In fact, it's estimated that the amount of toxic pollution in the air in many cities is twice what it was in the early 1990s.
Trees can play a role in reducing pollution in the soil. For example, old-growth trees can filter pollutants from the soil as they grow.
This can go a long way toward reducing any danger of long term poisoning of the earth's atmosphere.
When certain plants and trees die, their remains can be used to fertilize grasses. Plants tend to take in nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium from the soil.
Trees can help us create habitats that are safe from certain pests and diseases. Also, with today's emphasis on conservation, trees are being grown more widely. As we cut down trees, the reduction in the overall number of trees also decreases the number of healthy ones, making it imperative that we take a more sustainable approach to forest management.
