The benefits of trees around the world
Trees truly provide benefits to everyone around the world. Not only do they provide natural beauty, but their natural effects and life changing aspects stand out. |
As trees add color and natural living to the places around us, they also provide benefits to our mental health.
Having trees around your home, where you work, at a school, and in other places can provide for psychological benefits that:
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Trees Improve Personal Health |
Trees provide cleaner air and water |
Trees have the ability to filter air and water through processes in their roots. Through transpiration to filter out water, and photosynthesis to absorb carbon dioxide from our atmosphere and to release it as oxygen, trees have the ability to provide cleaner air and water.
With their ability to filter air, trees can filter out major air pollutants that we produce from our everyday activities. Some of these major air pollutants include carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, methane, and many more. |
Major Air Pollutants |
Sources |
Carbon Dioxide |
Burning oil, coal, and natural gases for energy. Decay and the burning of forests and tropical forests. |
Sulfur Dioxide |
Burning coal for energy. |
Hydrogen Fluoride and Silicon Tetrafluoride |
Aluminum and phosphate fertilizer production, oil refineries and manufacturers. |
Methane |
Chemical reactions of sunlight on automobile exhaust gas. |
Nitrous Oxide |
Burning fossil fuels and automobile exhaust. |
Chlorofluorocarbons |
Air conditioners, refrigerators and industrial foam. |
As trees grow, they provide shade and have the ability to block winds during the winter. By blocking the sun in the summer, you have the chance to use less air conditioning with less heat entering your home. In the winter, planting larger trees, like evergreens, can allow you to reduce the amount of energy you have to use to heat your home as they can block the winds in the winter.
The trees in the summer can allow you to save up to 30% of your energy. In the winter, you can save anywhere between 10% and 50% of energy that would normally be used for heating your home. |
Trees Reduce the amount of energy we use |
Trees reduce air pollution |
As greenhouse gases are emitted, they become trapped in our atmosphere. Most of these greenhouse gases are created by human activities. To reduce air pollution, trees store these greenhouse gas emissions in their trunk and turn it back into oxygen to release back into the atmosphere for humans to breathe. A healthy tree can hold up to 13 pounds of carbon annually, which is equivalent to around 2.6 tons per acre a year. In addition, trees also:
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Trees are a part of the water cycle. They transpire water through their roots up through their leaves. Without these trees, more floods would happen and there would be increased levels of runoff. The removal of trees also causes soil erosion, contributing to the runoff after storms.
Tree roots hold soil in place, reducing the amount of soil erosion around a tree. When this soil is held in place, water gets absorbed into the soil better. Reduced soil erosion from trees provides:
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Trees help conserve water and reduce soil erosion |
Trees help moderate climate change |
When trees are placed in urban places like cities, they can reduce the temperatures in these areas. With trees planted in cities, they can absorb and transpire water from the concrete and asphalt to reduce temperatures.
Not only that, but trees can also:
Since trees absorb greenhouse gases from the atmosphere to turn them into breathable air, they reduce the amount of air pollution found in our atmosphere. By storing carbon in their wood, trees can help reduce the greenhouse effect. |
Works Cited:
“Benefits of Urban Trees.” South Carolina Forestry Commission, South Carolina Forestry Commission, n.d., https://www.state.sc.us/forest/urbben.htm. Accessed 2 January 2022.
“Immerse Yourself in a Forest for Better Health.” Department of Environmental Conservation, n.d., https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/90720.html. Accessed 15 January 2022.
“Benefits of Urban Trees.” South Carolina Forestry Commission, South Carolina Forestry Commission, n.d., https://www.state.sc.us/forest/urbben.htm. Accessed 2 January 2022.
“Immerse Yourself in a Forest for Better Health.” Department of Environmental Conservation, n.d., https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/90720.html. Accessed 15 January 2022.