When you step out of the house, the first thing to greet you is the bus stop, the snack shop, the vehicles parked by the side of the road, or the tree quietly sitting on the street? Trees exist all around us, but we often forget how much contribution and beauty it has brought to human beings and the environment except when we pass by. This time, I would like to share with you 50 benefits of trees to the world. Let us use a new perspective and cherish the trees around us and in every corner.
Why protecting trees is as important as planting them?
The growth of a tree affects whether it can truly perform its best function, so in addition to planting trees, tree protection is equally important. Among them, common pruning, tree support, uprighting of fallen trees, protection of trunks and planting holes, and special insect habitat creation are all important aspects of tree protection.
Human beings cut down 15 billion trees a year, and only plant 500 million on average. Fortunately, there are more than three trillion trees on the earth, so most people can easily come into contact with trees in their lives. However, even though trees seem to be growing in all corners of the world, they are being overexploited and put at risk due to the expansion of human activities. According to a research team at Yale University in the United States, humans cut down about 15 billion trees a year trees, but only 500 million trees are planted on average, and the number varies greatly. But before humans came along, there were nearly twice as many trees on Earth as there are now. Fortunately, scholars have proved the importance of trees to the sustainability of the earth one after another, hoping to stop deforestation.
If that’s not enough of a reason to save trees, let us tell you about 50 health and environmental benefits of planting trees besides sustaining the earth!
The Benefits of 50 Trees for Individuals, the Environment, and the Community
16 Personal Benefits of Trees
1. Patients who can go outdoors and look at trees can reduce complications and recover faster.
2. The greenery outdoors can relax us; green trees can lower our heart rate and reduce stress.
3. According to a study in London, if residents live in areas with more trees, their chances of getting depression are lower.
4. Trees such as pine, fir and eucalyptus emit aromas that soothe and cheer us up.
5. Trees are also often used as inspiration for artistic creations, such as paintings and ceramic art.
6. When children with ADHD are exposed to nature, their symptoms can be reduced.
7. Children can have the opportunity to use their favorite trees to make leaf or bark rubbings.
8. Whether it is for children to play, or for adults to get creative and spiritual inspiration, trees provide a good place for human beings to rest.
9. Whether it is to make the backyard of the home more green, or to think about how long "it" can accompany us, the tree is the choice with the highest C/P value.
10. Trees provide food: An apple tree can produce 120 – 160 gallons (about 4364 – 5819 liters) of apples a year. In addition to providing fruit for humans, trees also provide a food source for birds and wildlife.
11. Trees can attract birds to stop, and the sound of warblers and swallows brings a feast of music to life
12. Trees can act as a natural barrier to divide spaces, bringing a sense of privacy to life while creating a sense of relaxation and tranquility.
13. Trees are (most of the time) pleasing to the eye.
14. Tree climbing is a fun and interesting sport (and probably a happy childhood memory for many)
15. Some trees are considered sacred trees. Different cultures recognize different species of trees as sacred trees, but they are often especially beautiful, majestic, or have other distinctive characteristics.
16. Studies have shown that office workers are more productive for the day if they can see trees or plants from their office windows.
21 Benefits of Planting Trees to the "Environment"
1. Trees are containers for absorbing carbon dioxide. They absorb more carbon dioxide than they emit.
2. Trees clean the air by absorbing odorous and potentially harmful gases such as nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone.
3. Trees can help fight climate change: Excessive carbon dioxide emissions cause climate change. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and emit oxygen.
4. Trees can also use their leaves and bark to absorb particles (dust) in the air to achieve the effect of clean air.
5. Deciduous plants act as natural air conditioners. In summer, its leaves can shade the sun and keep the home cool; in winter, the leaves will wither, allowing the sun to shine into the home and warm the interior.
6. According to the USDA, the cooling effect of a healthy tree is equivalent to running 10 air conditioners the size of a room for 20 hours.
7. Trees can reduce heating and cooling costs, thereby reducing dependence on oil and natural gas.
8. Trees also have a cooling effect as water evaporates from the surface of their leaves.
9. Fallen leaves can lower the temperature of the soil and maintain soil moisture, and decayed leaves can also increase the fertility of the soil.
10. Trees store groundwater and intercept harmful substances before they run into the water.
11. Trees provide shade when it rains, creating a microclimate for shade plants.
12. Trees reduce surface water runoff during storms, thereby slowing soil loss and reducing sediment in the water.
13. Trees provide habitat for wildlife: Maples and oaks are great homes for animals like birds, bees and squirrels.
14. Other animals like flying foxes, koalas, spider monkeys and tree kangaroos also live in trees.
15. Trees, even with stumps or dead trunks, are the best homes for many animals. Beetles and tree frogs can live beneath the bark of stumps, while woodpeckers feed on insects in stumps.
16. Trees provide runways for squirrels: Especially in foreign parks, squirrels can often be seen flying over the branches at amazing speeds, and these branches seem to be their highways!
17. Trees often live in symbiosis with fungi, which exchange essential nutrients from their roots for symbiotic coexistence.
18. The well-known French cuisine "truffle" is not actually grown independently. To get truffles, oak must be planted first, as truffles will only grow near the roots of certain tree-like trees.
19. Trees have the function of wind protection. The denser the leaves of a tree or a forest are, the more significant its function of wind protection will be.
20. Whether it is rain, graupel or hail, if they are shielded by leaves when they fall, the force of the fall can be buffered, protecting humans, insects and buildings.
21. If the United States could plant 100 million trees in its cities, it would save nearly $2 billion in energy costs.
13 Benefits Planting Trees Can Bring to the "Community"
1. The emotional connection between people and trees can often be self-evident through community protests against tree cutting, or joint boycotts of giant or old trees.
2. Trees make neighborhoods more livable; people can walk or jog on shaded streets.
3. Trees bring the elements of nature and wild animals into the city, thereby improving the quality of life of residents.
4. Trees can increase the value of real estate. A house surrounded by trees costs 7-19% more than the average house.
5. In summer, both children and adults can have a shaded place to play or relax, thus increasing their interaction with other neighbors.
6. Trees can beautify concrete walls, parking lots, and other unattractive features.
7. Trees have a noise reduction effect and can resist the noise of nearby streets and highways.
8. Trees cool city streets.
9. Trees can unite centripetal force: A tree unique to a community can become a special signpost, unite community identity and make community residents feel proud.
10. Trees can make a lasting impression of the neighborhood in the minds of tourists (visitors).
11. Trees can increase the economic stability of a community; people are more likely to linger or shop in streets shaded by trees.
12. Trees provide jobs and are the raw material for buildings, newspapers and books.
13. Tree by-products are often used to make other products such as plastics, vitamins, toothpaste and pharmaceuticals.
Global+: Plant a world tree from Hong Kong!
We sincerely invite you to join the [Global+] event; this year, let you plant trees in different places around the world anytime, anywhere in Hong Kong, and take the first step to protect our next generation. acc+ will work together with you to complete the tree planting process!
Let "Global+" enter your life now, and plant a forest from 1 tree!