It is impossible to comprehend human existence without trees. Throughout centuries, their majestic aesthetic has seized our curiosity and managed to bring us solace. Countless people add trees to their lawns to make them more beautiful. Most of them do it for aesthetic reasons or to deliver extra canopy during the summer season.
Nevertheless, trees provide more benefits than one could ever reckon. Aside from soothing, integrating us with nature, and providing a cooling sensation, trees do a lot for the atmosphere. On the other hand, a forest has even more strength than a single tree. Provided this, it is easy to overlook many of the advantages that trees provide in our livelihoods. Here are 20 advantages of trees:
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Trees remove greenhouse gases
Photosynthesis, the procedure by which trees produce food, entails soaking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stashing it in their wood. Trees and plants will stockpile this carbon dioxide throughout their existence, slowing the gas accumulation in our environment that has been speedily heating our biosphere. More innovative management of trees, plants, and soil in the United States alone could store enough carbon to take 57 million cars off the road!
Trees improve patient outcomes
Sick people who have plants in their hospital rooms or trees viewable from their hospital wards remain in the hospital for shorter periods and encounter less stress and discomfort. Doctors in Scotland are even prescribing nature to their patients because it has so many mental and physical health advantages.
Trees prevent water pollution
Stormwater can contain phosphorus and nitrogen contaminants. Without trees, stormwater streams unfiltered into oceans and lakes. Rainfall is broken up by trees, allowing water to infiltrate the ground and leach into the soil. As a result, they keep stormwater from contaminating the oceans.
Trees as a stress reducer
We have all noticed and experienced how being outdoors in nature is excellent for both the brain and the body. Shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing,” is a Japanese phrase for being encircled by nature. But you don’t have to go outdoors to reap the rewards; simply looking out the window at trees has been shown to relieve stress and anxiousness and improve overall wellness. According to the Morton Arboretum, viewing trees lowers blood pressure, makes children less agitated, and drivers around trees are less angry.
Trees reduce crime rates
Neighborhood and avenue trees that have been well maintained and looked after are correlated with more outstanding social capital, and ecosystems in communities decreased violence and hostility in households while reducing criminal activity in communities. According to one study, when ash trees died in Cincinnati, Ohio, crime increased throughout the city due to the emerald ash borer.
Trees are a source of food and nutrition
Trees are an essential part of the diet and nutrition for not only humans but also other mammals and birds. Both humans and wildlife ingest the fruits produced by the trees. Looking at our everyday routines, we can see that everything we consume comes from trees and plants except for meats and dairy products. Even the nourishment we get from meat and dairy products comes from trees because the animals that produce these foods live on plants, vegetation, and trees. Tree food contains all the required protein, carbohydrate, fat, and vitamins and minerals to maintain good health and an active lifestyle.
Medicines are derived from trees
Were you aware that willow bark was used to make aspirin? Or that dogwood bark has been employed as a quinine replacement? While synthetics have supplanted many treatments derived from plants and trees, there is no disputing their importance in modern medicine and clinical research.
Trees save Energy
Did you ever think that trees can help you save money on energy costs? During the cold winter months, trees provide a valuable service by preventing strong winds from approaching our homes, resulting in 25% lower heating costs. In the summer, they provide shade, which keeps your house cool. Ten room-sized air conditioners would be required to attain the same advantage without the tree. Definitely not good for your pocket!
Trees clean the air
Particulate matter, the most threatening type of air pollution to our lungs, is removed by trees. This contamination is created by the combustion of fossil fuels and can ascend to dangerous levels in metropolitan areas and communities’ road networks and industries. More trees in urban centers, particularly in low-income neighborhoods near highways and factories, can help to reduce illnesses such as asthma and heart disease.
Trees as Renewable energy source
Fossil fuels are currently one of the most serious global issues. Aside from their acute toxicity, they will not be around indefinitely. Many companies are now concentrating on renewable energy sources. Trees can be an excellent renewable energy source if cultivated and handled sustainably. Since their inception of creation, they have been convenient, have been around, and can be transformed into an outstanding eco-friendly fuel with proper forest management.
Trees and greenery may boost lifespan
Researchers from Harvard University discovered that women living in the greenest regions had a 13% lower non-accidental mortality rate than women residing in the least vegetated regions in a large study that followed nearly 110,000 women over eight years and was released in Environmental Health Perspectives. While researchers established no cause and effect relationship, the strongest associations were for lower death rates from respiratory disease and cancer.
Trees promote happiness
Countless studies have shown that having trees in urban locations can enhance mental health by limiting stress. Living in cities with more green space corresponds with reduced ranks of the stress hormone cortisol. Furthermore, trees and greener surroundings are firmly associated with decreased negative thoughts, decreased symptoms of depression, improved reported moods, and enhanced life satisfaction. As you might expect, doctors prescribe fewer antidepressants in cities with trees!
Trees provides privacy and less noise
Trees around your home can provide much-needed personal space from neighbors and neighboring roadways and reduce noise pollution by 40%.
Trees provide a livelihood to people
People make a living by cultivating and plucking fruits from trees and engaging in farming production. Numerous small economic opportunities are predicated on farm products, such as the food processing sector. The textile business is based on cotton cultivation. The sugar industry is focused on sugar cane production, and the jute industry uses jute as its exclusive raw material to produce a range of products. Likewise, the handicraft sector uses wood to create splendid works of art.
Trees are sacred
Trees were sacrosanct in many ancient civilizations and continue to have special significance in many modern cultures. The Druids revered several trees, including the Ash tree, from which healing charms were fashioned. Many folks in Madagascar idolize them today because they consider one can find their ancestors’ spirits in the forests and trees. Hence, trees are a mode of communal strength and linkage between past cultures and the present.
Flood protection by trees
Mother Nature can be a strong force, and water runoff can cause flooding and property destruction. The trees are once again on our edge! They catch runoff and lessen the intensity of floods. The roots and rich organic strands of a forest also help by decelerating the stream of fluid and stimulating it to progressively seep into the ground, which directly reduces erosion and holds land and soil together.
Trees reduce urban heat
One of the most imperative health and environmental hazards in a warming world is the uptick in heat and heat-related health complications. This scenario is prevalent in cities, where the Urban Heat Island effect integrates with heat waves to produce bad temperature swings. Urban tree plantings that are well-planned can help alleviate some of the heat pressure on city folk. An examination of 94 urban areas around the globe reveals that trees have a massive effect on temperature, accounting for an average of 1.9°C of cooling in a city. In fact, they can lower a city’s temperature by 9°C, which is significant in areas where temperatures already exceed 100°F.
Trees on Reinforcing soil
When it relates to agriculture, trees are one of the best allies. In several instances, they have a beneficial effect, including reducing soil erosion, increasing fertility, and assisting soil in obtaining moisture. Fallen tree leaves cool the soil and prevents it from losing too much hydration. Decaying leaves that crumple on the floor provide nutrients for tree growth and support the development of microorganisms.
Trees support better sleep
Researchers investigated the effect of the natural surroundings on sleep patterns in a large national study involving over 255,000 adults. The study, compiled in the September 2015 issue of Preventive Medicine, took into account proximity to the oceanfront or waterways, ambient temperature, heat, humidity, and light exposure. Green space alone helped protect men of all ages and older adults from sleep deprivation.
Trees increase property values
The trees are lovely, no doubt! That is not precisely a shocking revelation, but because most people respond positively to trees, it can also affect their view of a for-sale home. This equates to a higher property value. People would rather live and work in wooded areas. And this is evident in the fact that houses covered in trees have property values that range from 7% to 25% higher.
To Wrap Up
Take into account planting a tree the next time you are looking for small lawn care or landscape venture for your residence. You will be happy you did! Let us give trees the dignity and respect they deserve. Taking care of your trees now will guarantee that you can reap their rewards in the future.
(Last Updated on May 23, 2022 by Sadrish Dabadi)
