Trees play an essential role in human lives and for our planet. Maybe you know that trees create oxygen that we breathe and help purify our air, but what else do trees create? Trees provide a home for animals, other plant life, and insects, they help with our water cycle, provide shade, shelter us, provide food and nuts, and some trees even provide medicines to help heal us.
And here’s a VERY IMPORTANT job of a tree… trees absorb CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) which contributes to the Greenhouse Effect. Greenhouse gases have a big impact on climate change. CO2 is partially made from human activities like burning fuel to drive cars, fly airplanes, and operating factories. We end up with high levels of CO2 in our atmosphere by destroying rainforests and other types of forests. Forests are filled with the very trees we need for a healthy atmosphere. When we cut down trees, especially in massive quantities, our air quality becomes much worse.
Trees are a big help to all living creatures, including us. Old-growth trees are especially important, just like our human grandparents and great-grandparents. We do need a certain amount of trees to use and make different products. However, we have to be smart and strategic about what trees to use and what trees to keep. Imagine a tree that grew for 800 years and then someone cut it down, so they could build some shelves in their house!
According to National Geographic, “70 percent of Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests, and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes.”
