Trees support entire ecosystems by stabilizing soils, supplying a variety of creatures with a rich habitat, absorbing and filtering stormwater, lowering temperatures, and more.Â
In this article, we will look at 8 Benefits of Trees you never knew.
A good tree is loved by everyone. Their still, calm presence in our lives just makes us feel good. They are tall, dignified, elegant, and lovely.Â
But they’re not just there for show. In a variety of ways, they absolutely have the benefits of trees.
Since they first appeared 300 million years ago, they have contributed to the transformation of the Earth into a thriving utopia for all living things, large and tiny.
Although there are currently over 3 trillion trees on Earth, since the dawn of human civilization (about 11,700 years ago), the number of trees has decreased by about 46%. Because of this, it’s critical now more than ever to recognize and appreciate the value of the humble.
They also benefit human health in a variety of ways. The benefits of trees cannot be emphasized, from medical trees that human societies have relied on for thousands of years for life-saving medicine to urban trees that protect city inhabitants from dangerously high temperatures.
You could say that trees are woven into the very fabric of who we are as it is evident from historical documents that early humans relied on them for their very survival. of their fruit, which is rich in nutrients, we find food.
In their limbs, we find shelter. In their medicinal components, we find healing. In their presence, we find wonder.
Trees hold the key to human existence, both globally for the health of the world and on an individual level through the direct health advantages they bring, as contemporary study has simply confirmed what indigenous people have long known.Â
8 Benefits of Trees
There are 8 important benefits as to why we must keep planting and having trees in the environment
- Trees helps in purification of environment
In addition to consuming carbon, trees also create oxygen. In fact, one tree has the capacity to produce four people’s worth of oxygen!
But they do more than just make our air more enriched. They clean it as well. Pollutant gases including nitrogen oxides, ozone, ammonia, and sulfur dioxide can all be absorbed by trees. We feel so happy after a walk in the forest for this additional reason.
If sufficiently many trees are planted in urban areas, they can mitigate many of the impacts of air pollution.
That’s a potentially effective approach considering the more than 3 million people who pass away annually from illnesses related to air pollution.
With 27,800 fewer life years lost and 1,900 fewer early deaths each year, the UK alone is expected to save $1 billion in avoided health damage expenses thanks to vegetation’s ability to filter pollution.
Urban trees are thought to reduce air pollution in the contiguous United States by 711,000 metric tonnes annually.
This is crucial because particulate matter from air pollution, such as ozone, carbon monoxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide, has been linked to a number of diseases that affect people’s health, such as bronchitis, an increased risk of glaucoma, heart attacks, changes in vascular function, autism, high blood pressure, issues with children’s cognitive development, heart failure, and an increase in mortality.
- Trees prevent flooding and reduce water-borne pollutants
Trees can drink a lot of water, just like most other living creatures can. A huge tree can drink 100 gallons of the substance in a single day. As a result, they contribute to reducing flooding from heavy rain, particularly in low-lying places like river plains.
Trees can also lessen the risk of erosion and property damage from flash floods by assisting the ground to absorb more water and by binding soil together with their roots.
And it can only be a good thing with the increase in severe weather and the potential of flooding.
Stormwater runoff can increase the amount of pollutants that people are exposed to, yet trees can intercept and clean stormwater, enhancing the quality of runoff.
Stormwater that has been absorbed and released by trees is cooler and has fewer contaminants when it enters nearby rivers because it has had less contact with pavement.
- Trees combat climate changes
In many respects, trees are a bit of a miracle. But one of their best advantages is that they can absorb carbon like sponges.
They may store carbon for decades or even centuries by taking it from the air and encasing it in their wood and roots.
A single tree may store up to 22 kg of carbon every year, and by the time it is 40 years old, it will have done so. An acre of trees may remove as much carbon per year as driving a car 26,000 kilometers.
According to scientists, one of the most effective and affordable methods to help address the climate catastrophe is by planting billions of trees throughout the world.
According to a recent study, forests and other natural ecosystems might reduce carbon emissions by more than one-third and help keep global warming below 2 °C by 2030.
Deforestation, improper forest management, and modifications to land use result in the annual loss of about 15 billion trees. However, a global planting initiative might sequester up to 100 gigatons of carbon, which is equal to a decade’s worth of carbon emissions from human activity.
- Trees improve health and well-being
There are various ways that trees improve our physical and emotional wellbeing. They maintain an oxygen-rich environment, remove airborne contaminants, provide shade for our streets in the summer, and even strengthen our immune systems.
According to studies, breathing in the phytoncides that plants and trees release strengthens our immune, hormonal, circulatory, and nervous systems.
Additionally, trees enhance our quality of life by easing the signs of anxiety and depression.
For thousands of years, people have taken advantage of trees’ therapeutic properties, and with good cause.
25% of all medicines contain one or more active chemicals that can be found in abundance in forests. Tree and plant extracts contain a number of bioactive substances that aid in managing pain, stopping bleeding, sterilizing wounds, boosting our immune systems, calming our neurological systems, and other functions.
Numerous studies have shown that having trees around metropolitan areas can benefit mental health by lowering stress levels.
Correlations show that people who live in places with more green space had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Additionally, there is a high correlation between trees and greener landscapes and fewer pessimistic thoughts, fewer depressive symptoms, better reported moods, and greater life satisfaction.
As you might expect, physicians recommend fewer antidepressants in cities with trees!
- Trees lower temperature of Air
It’s not a misnomer to refer to trees as nature’s air conditioners! Trees are frequently planted in urban areas to assist regulate temperatures because densely populated urban areas can trap surplus heat.
How do they chill the air, though? in two various methods. The canopy of a tree serves as a parasol, blocking up to 90% of the sun’s rays and cooling the ground underneath us.
Additionally, they use a procedure known as evapotranspiration to screen sunlight before it reaches the ground.
The cooling effect that results from water evaporating from leaves when the sun’s rays strike a tree’s canopy can lower nearby air temperatures by several degrees.
Yes, trees’ sweat when they are hot, just like humans do, and this process helps to moderate the temperature of our environment in a very modest but very welcome way.
- Tree’s improve soil quality
Trees are important to agriculture in many ways. They increase soil fertility, lessen soil erosion, and add moisture to the soil. Fallen tree leaves also produce essential nutrients for the growth of trees and foster the development of microorganisms.
Additionally, trees come in helpful for removing soil toxins. One maple tree may remove 5,200 mg of lead, 140 mg of chromium, and 60 mg of cadmium per year from the soil.
Additionally, studies have found that farm runoff that has passed through a forest includes up to 88 percent less nitrate and 76 percent less phosphorus.
- Trees help in economic benefits
By providing shade to your home’s south and west sides, strategically positioned trees can lower your summer cooling expenses.
Deciduous trees will let the sun shine through and warm your home in the winter if they are used.
To lessen the chilling effects of winter winds, place evergreen trees on the north side of your house and plant bushes around the foundation.
A home with old, healthy trees and a well-kept garden may be worth up to 10% more than one with little or no landscaping. (Topping will lower your trees’ value.)
Some of the indirect economic benefits of trees include the fact that if we use less energy, there will be less pressure on the infrastructure for utilities, which will result in lower operating expenses that can be passed on to the customer.
A strong local economy increases access to essential, life-saving resources like fresh, wholesome food and enough healthcare and services, despite the fact that it may seem paradoxical to include the economy on a list of the health benefits of trees.
Unlike infrastructure, which deteriorates with time, trees only increase in value with age, boosting property values in the process.
Greater community vitality and safer neighborhoods result from higher property prices, which inspire people to get outside!
- Trees reduce energy costs
Finally, you did read that correctly. In fact, trees can lower your energy costs!
Because they provide shade in the summer when they are grown correctly, you don’t need as many fans or air conditioners. Plant trees to provide shade on your home’s east and west sides for the best results.
Trees serve as a windbreak in the winter, shielding your house from the chilly wind. The chilling impacts of winter winds will be lessened by evergreen trees planted on the north side of your home and by shrubs planted around the foundation.
Despite the fact that you may own the trees on your land, your neighbors could also gain from them. Trees may benefit your entire community with thoughtful planning.
Traffic travels more slowly and safely when streets are lined by trees. Placement of trees can block out undesirable views or noise from congested highways.
The architecture or design of buildings or entire neighborhoods can be enhanced by trees.
FAQs
What are trees’ finest applications?
Trees and other living things make our surroundings more beautiful, purify the air, act as sound barriers, create essential oxygen, and promote energy conservation by reducing wind in the winter and giving cooling shade in the summer. To breathe, we need oxygen, which plants provide.
What benefit do trees provide us with that is most significant?
Advantages of trees:
- Rainwater is absorbed by trees, reducing flooding.
- Because soil is connected to tree roots, soil erosion is prevented.
- Resources are made available to people.
- The soil’s nutritional value is raised.
- In addition to treatment, give nutrition.
- It rains because of trees.
Conclusion
As you can see from this article, trees are essential for both the overall health of the planet and the well-being of each individual due to the immediate health advantages they offer. Want to assist?
Today, plant a tree! And enjoy every benefit of trees.
