Do you know trees are essential for many living beings? Forests are an important place for the development of lives on Earth. Nowadays, we live in a climate crisis due to human actions, so scientific warnings are trying to make us aware of the negative consequences losing trees have for humanity. We all know there are some issues with the environment, but are we really informed about the importance of the elements of nature surrounding us?
Science is here to prove the importance of forests and how life on Earth would end if we don’t take action on this matter.
Trees and their contribution to the planet Earth
When you walk on the street and you see a tree, you might think that tree is beautiful, or you may be thankful for its shade. Sometimes you might not even notice them, known as plant blindness. What you should know from now on is the many positive things they do for you.
Where do you think the air you breathe comes from? Exactly, trees! They are the ones producing this necessary element so that we can live. So, maybe next time, you can say thank you to trees you see and not just for their shade.
They are also beneficial for the environment. Let’s see some of their contributions:
- Huge amounts of carbon dioxide is the one the main causes of global warming, so trees keep this gas with them avoiding massive carbon dioxide getting spread into the Earth’s atmosphere.
- Water is very related to trees, they make rain possible because they produce water vapor and they also make river water much cleaner since they filter this water.
What about animals and other living beings?
They are essential for animals and other living beings too. Every time a log is taken out, so many homes are being destroyed for species like: climbing plants, bacteria, fungus, birds, monkeys and insects.
Animals depend a lot on trees, not only because they are their homes, but also their source of food and water to survive. For example, parrots feed from the fruit trees produce and geckos pollinate dragonsblood, a tree from million years ago.
What we can get from these plants
As you can see, these plants are beneficial for the environment and animals, but what about us? We use so many things coming from them, more than you would think. Here’s a list so that you are fully aware of them:
- Food: basically, most fruits come from trees (oranges, apples, pears, and the popular avocados, among many). Also, nuts and spices are in our houses thanks to them.
- Medicine: yes, medicine makes use of their leaves, roots and even barks.
- Houses: of course, firewood! These are used to construct houses and to make them warm inside. What’s more, some people use them for any activity that requires fire like cooking. Did you know more than 880 million people use firewood to cook?
Endangered trees
All of this is very nice and it is amazing the many things these plants do, but everything has a bad side. Human actions are making them disappear and, as a consequence, all their benefits.
In 2021, a study called State of the World’s Trees reported that over 17,000 species could disappear forever if we don’t stop with things like deforestation, construction of cities and roads, forest fires and climate change.
What can we do about it?
You might think that just your actions mean nothing, but if everybody thinks that way… there’s the problem. We need to make a world effort to avoid this issue before it’s too late.
Some daily activities you can incorporate into your life are planting trees or taking care of the ones already planted, consuming more sustainable products and reducing your trash. All of this will make a difference on the environment and you could continue benefiting from our beloved trees.