Top 5 reasons why everyone should be planting trees!
Planting trees is by no definition a new phenomenon. Organizations such as the Forest Stewardship Council have been planting forests for years. Furthermore, in recent years, a number of prominent influencers and celebrities have come forth with their own initiatives to plant trees. And lest we forget, our own Non-Profit organization, the GreenCore, is hard at work to plant a beautiful woodland. The question remains, why has this become such a popularized event? We want to properly elucidate why planting trees is such an important thing to do. This is why we have made a list of the top 5 reasons to plant trees!
1: They absorb carbon dioxide
Trees have the rare ability to turn carbon dioxide into oxygen. With a little help from the sun, trees convert carbon dioxide and water into sustenance to feed on. This process, which is crucial for all life on earth, is called photosynthesis. This is because a byproduct of photosynthesis is the production of oxygen, that little molecule that we all breathe! A full-grown beech, of 30 meters, absorbs 9000 litres of carbon dioxide and produces 9000 litres of oxygen a day. This is equal to the daily use of oxygen for a grown man!
2: They purify the air
Trees make the air we breathe just a little cleaner. As you now know, they convert carbon dioxide into fresh oxygen. However, these wonderful forest giants do so much more. The leaves of trees also filter and take up huge amounts of fine dust. As a matter of fact, a hundred-year-old beech with a leaf area of 1500 square meters can take up to 2.83 square meters of fine dust. Now you know why the air in a forest always smells so pleasant!
3: They support biodiversity
It starts with a tree, it ends with a forest. Trees provide cover and shade, which allow shrubs and other plants to grow. Furthermore, they retain water and nutrition in the ground, which further allows a variety of plants to settle at their feet. These bushes will provide shelter and food for insects, birds, and small rodents. If this continues, a natural food chain will emerge which will allow even bigger animals to roam these woods. At a certain point, the woods can be left alone as they are now completely self-sufficient, alive, and thriving!
4: They maintain water
Forests have the amazing ability to control precipitation. The many layers of the forest, from the leaves to the ground-grown shrubs, hold water vapour. The speed at which these forests release or hold the vapour can actually control the rainfall! Furthermore, instead of rainwater evaporating or draining to the sea, forests hold a large amount of precious freshwater. Lastly, forests play a crucial role in preventing floods by blocking and slowing excessive amounts of downpours.
5: They can save us
Trees can literally save us! If we collectively planted enough to increase the total amount of trees by 20% we could increase rainfall by 8% (source: article). This could counteract the dry conditions many countries are dealing with, and even combat desertification. Furthermore, this would have a direct effect on the amount of carbon dioxide present. The chain reaction of planting such a large amount of trees could combat global warming and climate change to an incredible extent! So what are you waiting for? Go plant some trees!
Would you like to see trees in a whole different light, just like we do? Then we recommend you listen to this podcast and find out the surprising way a forest operates.