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If you put "Benefits of Trees" in a search engine and scroll through some of the many sites that come up, common themes start to appear: Climate Moderation, Air Quality, Water Conservation, Energy Savings, Health. In California, reduced air-conditioning costs are near the top of the list; in Ontario, reduced heating costs are a benefit. Here in Essa, Ontario, a place where three rivers meet, trees play a vital role in flood control, keeping the waterways healthy and slowing erosion. As well as a long list of other benefits...

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1. Trees produce oxygen. Four hundred million years ago, trees were established on Earth, adding the oxygen to the atmosphere that would make it possible for our earliest ancestors to begin to evolve three hundred million years later. We're here because of trees. 
2. Trees reduce pollutatant gases. As part of the same process that produces oxygen, the leaves of trees absorb carbon dioxide and air pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitogen oxides, airborne ammonia and heavy metals.
3. Trees filter the air. The leaves and bark of trees trap particulates and dust from the air. Rain then washes the debris to the ground.
4. Trees humidify the air. In the process of transpiration, trees release moisture into the air.       

​ Feel Better

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1. ​ Trees can help heal. Studies have shown that hospital patients recover more quickly and need less medication when their rooms have views of trees and greenspace.
2. Trees help us concentrate by reducing mental fatigue. Children with ADHD show fewer symptoms when they have access to trees and greenspace.
3. Trees make us feel calm. In urban greenspace, trees absorb noise and improve aesthetics, resulting in less stress, less crime, and "traffic calming."
4. Trees shelter us from ultra-violet rays, reducing our exposure by about 50% and helping to reduce the incidence of skin cancer.
5. Trees give us places to play, to retreat and to find creative or spiritual inspiration.

Trees at Work: Green Infrastructure

1. Trees are windbreaks. Groups of trees, especially those with dense foliage, can change wind speed and direction. Windbreaks can reduce the loss of topsoil, protect crops from damage and keep blowing snow from building up on winter roads. Trees shelter pedestrians on windy snowy or rainy days.
2. Trees reduce flooding. Trees intercept water, store some of it and reduce storm runoff, protecting waterways from sudden increases in water levels.
3. Trees protect water sources. Trees increase the amount of rainfall that percolates into the soil and replenishes our sources of drinking water. Their leaves break rainfall and allow water to run down the trunk and into the ground below. On moraines, forest cover can increase up to tenfold the rate of groundwater recharge.
4. Trees prevent erosion. The roots of trees hold soil in place, and their capacity to reduce the amount of rainwater runoff helps keep soil from washing away.
5. Trees improve water quality by trapping, using or breaking down some of the pollutants and nutrients that are harmful to water quality.
6. Trees improve the soil. Leaves that fall from trees decompose and add nutrients and texture to the soil, which nurtures the tree and all the plants that surround it. Leaf mulch or compost is a wonderful soil enhancer. In a process called "phytoremediation" trees can absorb dangerous chemicals from the soil and either store them or change the pollutant to a less harmful form.
7. Trees provide insulation for other plants. Layers of fallen leaves protect plants from the extemes of winter temperatures and reduce evaporation of moisture in summer heat, keeping plants healthy in home or community gardens.
8. Trees increase business traffic. Studies show that the more trees and landscaping a business district has, the more business will flow in. A tree-lined street will slow traffic enough to allow drivers to look at store fronts and encourage pedestrians to linger and browse.

Climate Control

1. Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. In one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the amount of CO2 produced from driving your car 43,000 kilometres.
2. Trees reduce energy requirements for air-conditioning. Three trees placed strategically around a single-family home can cut summer air-conditioning needs up to 50%.
3. Trees reduce winter heating costs. Coniferous trees can act as a sheltering windbreak for your house. Dense coniferous shrubs planted close to the house will provide insulation against wind and cold.

Birds and Wildlife

1. ​Trees provide habitat and food for birds, animals and insects, enriching life in urban centres and creating firsthand opportunities for lessons in biology.
2. Trees growing along corridors at sufficient density can link natural areas and provide travel routes for wildlife.
3. Trees growing in forests provide habitat for species that need large areas for their suvival.

Sources:

Trees for Life, Lorraine Johnson. Published by: The Urban Tree Coalition, Toronto

www.treesaregood.com

www.treepeople.org

www.grandriver.ca

www.kelowna.ca  

"The Value of Trees: Making the Case for Tree Protection," Barbara Heidenreich www.oufc.org/

 

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