Ever since we are little children, we are told to plant trees whenever and wherever we can. Everyone emphasized so much on the statement that trees are beneficial that they forgot to tell you some of the many ways that trees benefit the environment. So here we are, answering questions about what kinds of benefits that trees provide.
They Provide a Cool Atmosphere
Trees are known to drop the temperature of their surroundings by at least 2 degrees. They keep heat waves from forming and keep the environment cool. They do this by taking in moisture from the ground and making it evaporate from the surface of the leaves. We know evaporation causes cooling, so there!
They Provide Shade
One of the oldest uses of trees is that they provide shade. This helps protect people on foot, birds, and other animals from feeling too hot. It also keeps cars in driveways cool, even if the occasional bird may poop on it from time to time!
They Create Homes for Other Animals and Birds
Almost every tree that has been standing strong for a couple of years has housed many animals and birds. This helps sustain the ecosystem and preserve the habitat of many animals. Without trees lining urban areas the way they do, many animals and birds would lose their natural habitat and may become endangered.
They Help You Breathe Better
The most commonly known benefit of trees is that they filter out carbon dioxide from the air and increase the levels of oxygen in the air. This makes the air cleaner and better for us to breathe. Other than carbon dioxide, trees can also filter out many more harmful gases like Sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. We would become much more prone to diseases of the respiratory system if the number of trees would lessen.
They Bear Fruit
This doesn’t pertain to all trees, but most trees do bear edible fruit. Even if the fruit isn’t safe for the consumption of human beings, it can be eaten by animals and help sustain them. There are many animals that survive solely on the fruit they find on trees so without the trees, these animals would become endangered.
They Trap Dust and Impurities in the Air
Urban air is usually full of impurities like dust, pollen, smoke from cars and factories and what not. Trees help in trapping these impurities from the air into their leaves and branches. This prevents them from reaching our lungs. We are therefore further protected from respiratory diseases.
They Prevent Soil Erosion
Many trees in an area help bind the soil to the ground. When trees are taken off a land of fertile soil, a phenomenon called surface runoff occurs. This phenomenon takes off the fertile, top layer of soil from the ground. That ground and soil then become barren and it becomes difficult to plant new trees and greenery in that soil. Restoring this soil to its original fertile state is difficult.