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We know for a fact that trees are important especially to
the environment and to the development of civilization. It is
also valuable and necessary to our very own survival. And the
continuous existence of trees is what makes our lives better.
Some benefits of trees are pretty apparent for all of us
such as the fact that it produces oxygen, act as windbreaks,
cleans the air and soil, serves as shade and shelter from the
sun, and makes our landscape more beautiful. The trees are source
of materials for our medicines and so many other social benefits
that may not be that obvious to men. It is therefore of utmost
importance that we take care of the trees around us since not
only do they impact our lives in a big way but they totally
improve the quality of our lives for the better.
Have you noticed that a community with a lot more greenery has more
children playing outside? This ability for children to interact
with other children in the community creates a bonding not
only in the younger generation but also with the parents
and other members of the community. Because there is better
and healthy social interaction between children and adults
and the whole community, there are lesser chances of them
being involved in drugs, juvenile delinquency and/or becoming
members of gangs. Urban and suburban areas with sidewalks
with trees as shades encourage members of the community
to do more walking rather than driving creating a friendlier
atmosphere. Most likely these areas would also have small
parks which promote participation in community sports activities
which in turn helps relieve stress in people. Studies have
shown that views of natural scenes such as trees can even
influence the recovery of patients allowing them shorter
postoperative stays, fewer complaints, and needed less pain
killers. Also, studies have shown how trees and other urban
vegetation help in lowering blood pressure, slowing down
heartbeats and a more relaxed brain wave patterns. This
is the reason why further studies have shown that fewer
violence reports in communities with trees .
Trees reduce glare and reflection. Deciduous trees when
planted in the right places, like the west and south sides
of our homes and community, can block the sunlight during
summer but gives our homes warmth during winter. Trees absorb
and block noise and well placed trees can reduce noise by
as much as 40 percent since the leaves and branches absorb
the sound waves such as those made by the highway noise.
By absorbing and blocking noise, the trees helps prevent
further stress, irritability, aggressive behavior, hypertension,
and higher cholesterol levels which are caused by constant
and extended exposure to noise. More so, trees can add music
since these will attract birds and other animals. Not only
do trees screen unattractive views but it also serves as
attractive views that provide a wide variety of color and
wondrous smell that perfume the air with its flower scents.
Trees become like a communal property since they occupy large spaces
which affects the whole neighborhood not only the owner
of the tree. Planning on how to properly maintain it or
use these trees becomes the responsibility of the whole
community and not just the owner. So much so that laws and
policies are even enacted to make sure that the members
of the community are taking care of the trees in whatever
capacity or functions these trees are playing for the community.
Sometimes these trees, especially those in the urban areas
or cities serve architectural and engineering functions
such as to provide privacy, serve as background to enhance
architecture and even direct pedestrian traffic and provide
traffic control. By deciding where the trees should be planted
the city architects can create a route that people should
take or by following the desired lines that people usually
follow and lining them up with trees as shades can create
walkways. On the other hand it can enhance traffic safety
by slowing traffic to safe speeds since trees planted along
the way in regular intervals seems to act as walls that
guide drivers to focus ahead rather than looking elsewhere.
The environment
benefits from trees comes in so many different ways, from
creating the ecosystem that provides the natural habitat
that supports birds, animals and a wildlife of flora and
fauna to moderating climate by reducing wind speed to lowering
urban temperature to improving air quality to conserving
water to reducing urban runoff and erosion and many more.
The benefits that we get from trees are endless and our
environment and the continuous existence of life is certainly
aided by the presence of trees. The natural cycle of growth,
reproduction, and decomposition are present every time we
continue to plant more trees.
Trees are
to our planet as a lung is to any human. The leaves of the
trees remove dust and other particulates and thus filtering
the air we breathe. The pollutants are then washed to the
ground by rain. Leaves absorb carbon dioxide as well as
other major air pollutants including ozone, carbon monoxide,
nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide and in turn give off
oxygen in the process of photosynthesis.
Studies have shown that:
300 trees can remove the amount of pollution produced
by 1 human being for a lifetime.
1 tree is enough to absorb 48 lbs of carbon dioxide in
the air in a year.
Lowers urban temperature by about 3C.
1 tree collects and breaks 2380 gallons of rainfall a
year reducing runoff and flooding
The world
gets a lot of economic benefits from the trees, knowingly
and unknowingly. There are direct and indirect economic
benefits from trees. Direct benefits are those that have
something to do with energy costs like what we save with
annual cooling costs or the energy used for heating. During
hot summer months, trees and their shades minimize the need
for air conditioning. Trees also release moisture into the
air and thus cooling a wide area not just those houses and
building directly shaded by trees. During cool winter nights,
trees minimize the amount of energy used for heating since
it buffers the wind. Indirect benefits are those that the
whole community or state gets like what the community saves
when no or fewer facilities are built to counter storms,
run offs, landslides and other calamities caused by the
absence of trees. Also, consumers in the communities get
lower electric bills because the power companies do not
have to spend as much on facilities, fossil fuel, and less
water need in their cooling towers. As a whole, the trees
help us save huge on money that could produce what one tree
can actually produce including worth of oxygen, air pollution
control, recycling of water, and save us on costly soil
erosion control structures and pollution control technology
operation.
Amount of
money one tree produces and saves in half a century:
Generates $31,250 worth of oxygen
Provides $62,000 worth of air pollution control
Recycles $37,500 worth of water
Controls $31,250 worth of soil erosion
Saves $136 daily on pollution control technology operation
Studies
have also shown that trees stabilize the economy of the
community as well as stimulate retail and commercial business
districts. Shopping districts with more trees and well-landscaped
areas and where parking can be done in shaded areas attracts
more shoppers, encourage longer and more frequent shopping
trips and thus increasing sales and revitalizing declining
downtowns. Aside of course from the fact that real estate
property value of houses, apartments and office buildings
increase by almost 5 to 18 percent. Apartments and offices
are rented so much quickly when in an area with abundant
trees.
