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Importance of trees: Why You Should Plant More Trees?

Other life forms including the human would have ceased to exist on this planet without the presence of trees. At the onset of human civilization, trees were worshipped as totems and regarded as sacred. The European Druids offered prayers to the oak trees, redwoods happened to be an integral component of the American Indian ritual, baobabs were a core element of the African tribal life, and the Chinese revered their ginkgos. The medieval scholars from Roman and many other civilizations venerated the trees in their writings.

Long before the human civilization came to exist, trees have helped to sustain life on Earth by providing food and oxygen. As the primates evolved, the plants were used as a raw source for making shelter, tools, medicine, etc. With the progress of the twenty-first century, trees are increasingly utilized to satisfy the ever-changing demands of the modern man.

Benefits

Social & Community Value

Trees are those members of every community who have great significance. One can spot the parks, streets, backyards, and playgrounds populated with various species of colorful plants; creating a serene and aesthetically pleasing ambiance.  Trees increase the quality of one’s life by incorporating wildlife habitats and natural elements into urban settings. People sit, lie, sleep, relax, or chat with family and friends under their cool shade at outdoors. Many localities also boast of their trees, which are pretty old and are considered as great objects of pride by the town authorities, because of the historical importance they bear.

Trees are liberally used in modern cities by the architects for deflecting the sunlight, and thus, reducing the adverse effects of the urban heat island caused by commercial structures and pavements.

Environmental & Ecological Value

Trees release oxygen to the environment and improve air quality, conserve water, help in climate amelioration, sustain wildlife, and preserve the soil. Through a biological process called the photosynthesis, trees ingest carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, and had it not been so; the earth would not have been breathable, and life would not have survived there. The USDA or the United States Department of Agriculture states that 1 acre of forest uses 6 tons of CO2 for producing 4 tons of O2, fair enough to for meeting the requirements of 18 people annually. Turf, shrub, and trees remove dust from the air and filters it; and also absorb a range of pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. After being caught by the trees, the polluting particles are washed off to the ground by the rain.

Many animals including giraffes, koalas, and elephants consume tree leaves for nourishment. Flowers are savored by the monkeys, and apart from the birds, nectar is relished by the bats and a number of insects. The tree seeds propagate over great distances with the help of animals, as the latter also eat almost the same fruits that humans enjoy. Trees are home to dozens of living creatures; as their branches and leaves protect the birds, squirrels, and many other animals from the sharp claws of the predators.

Spiritual & Personal Value

The main reason people love the company of trees is because of their beauty and appeal. Different species of plants exhibit a virtually endless variety of forms, textures and vibrant colors. The strength, extended lifespan, and majestic stature of trees make them as impactful as a long-erect monument. Many people plant saplings to celebrate important occasions and also to remember significant events in their lives.

Trees help to register the history of one’s family as they continue to grow alongside that family. A vast majority of people make emotional bonds with the trees they plant or once planted. These strong attachments inspire several voluntary groups, fighting till their last breath to protect the gigantic and historic trees from the ravages of modern civilization and also from human greed. True, one can never measure the emotional value of a tree.

Commercial & Practical Value

Trees have sustained and helped life throughout the human existence. They offer a host of commercial and practical uses. Wood happened to be the world’s first fuel used by the humans, and it is still being utilized for heating and cooking by half of the human population approximately. The timber sourced from the trees are used in making buildings, tools, furniture, sports equipment and a plethora of household items. Paper is manufactured from the wood pulp.

The delicious fruits like oranges, apples, etc. people eat every day come from none other than the trees. The barks of many plants have medicinal value, and they can also be used for manufacturing corks. Medicines like aspirin and quinine are made from the extracts of barks. The inner portion of the bark found in some trees is a rich source of latex, the key ingredient for producing rubber.

Economic & Property Value

Individual shrubs and trees do contribute to one’s savings, but it takes the collective impact of a nicely maintained landscape to usher a genuine economic impact and is responsible for appreciation of the financial value of a property to a great extent. Saving is energy expenditure proportionately increases one’s assets and also indirectly reduces the burden of liabilities. Tree-shaded homes spend comparatively less on cooling and heating costs are cut when a hurricane knocks down several large trees in succession. The USDA Forest Service (USDA-FS) calculated that trees could reduce the requirement for air-conditioning by about one-third when appropriately positioned around a building, and they can save one-fifth to as much as half the energy needed for heating.

Houses with adequately maintained landscapes can fetch up to six-fifths time higher selling price in comparison with the homes which have none. An adult tree can be worth an appraised value of $1,000 to $10,000 and ninety-nine out of every hundred real estate appraisers firmly believe that landscaping does enhance the appeal of a fixed asset when it is being sold.

Conclusion

There is a wide range of benefits of tree plantation, ranging from environmental to health, economic, and even psychological advantages. Planting and nurturing trees curtail energy costs, reduce pollution, increase the aesthetics of the surroundings, and also help to appreciate the financial value of properties. As green has a calming effect on the human mind, the leaves of the trees help to recover from stress and anxiety quickly.

Two of the most significant benefits of the trees are their contribution to controlling global warming and reducing the carbon footprints. Trees are such valuable friends that the humans cannot afford to lose. It is vital for parents and teachers, educating the young children, about the so many advantages of planting trees in their formative years.