Then only can the forest cover be renewed. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. It’s estimated that trees can reduce the temperature in a city by up to 7°C. As climate change and global warming become more of a threat to our planet’s ecosystem, ignorance and inaction must be replaced by attention and care for our urban and forest tree populations to survive. For example, the spruce and fir may thrive in the tree form at the base of a mountain but assume a shrub form near the mountaintop, the variation due principally to stresses exerted by such environmental conditions as altitude, temperature, and oxygen tension. Geology is the study of Earth’s makeup and the history of our earth. You have a healthy respect for Mother Nature and want your kiddos to grow up with an appreciation for her, too. Trees increase our quality of life by bringing natural elements and wildlife habitats into urban settings. They give us clean water to drink, air to breathe, shade and food to humans, animals and plants. During photosynthesis, trees facilitate the breakdown of food materials in the presence of carbon dioxide and sunlight to produce carbohydrates. Trees provide wood and paper. Trees play a very important and vital role in our lives. Trees are also a major part of the economy. Average temperatures in Los Angeles have risen 6°F in the last … In the early stages of the development of terrestrial life, land plants were rootless and leafless. These graceful trees, which are natives of humid montane forests in the tropics and subtropics and of warm temperate regions of the Southern Hemisphere, have huge lacy leaves; they are the remnants of a vastly more numerous flora that populated much of the Earth during the Carboniferous Period (about 360 to 300 million years ago). Sustainable tree farming provides timber to build homes and shelters, and wood to burn for cooking and heating. Trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow and the carbon that they store in their wood helps slow the rate of global warming. 3.3 On a large scale, some of these aerosols appear to help regulate the climate; others are anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. Thus, a given woody species may be a tree in one set of habitats within its range and a shrub elsewhere. Some paleobotanists suggest that trees are the most primitive members within these plant families. However, this is not the only reason why trees are important for us. Trees are also an attraction for clouds and rain. Compact tree foliage can serve as a windbreak, as well as provide protection from rainfall. Trees like almond, coconut, cherry, prune, peach, pear, and many other tree species are grown in orchards for their fruits and nuts. Depending on the kind of food and shelter they need, different forest animals require different types of habitat. Angiosperms dominate the Earth’s present flora; they contain more than 250,000 species, among which are the majority of the world’s trees. The tree is not an immutable biological category but rather a human concept based on visual criteria. Stems provided mechanical strength as well as a conductive capacity to transport water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves. So to re-establish a forest community, it is important to select those trees or plant species that will thrive in the area. With more than 50% of the world’s population living in cities — a number expected to increase to 66% by the year 2050 — pollution and overheating are becoming a real threat. Forests provide jobs to over 1.6 billion people, absorb harmful carbon from the atmosphere, and are key ingredients in 25% of all medicines. Have you ever taken an Aspirin? Trees provide a foundation to life. Often, plants prominently figure in literature, religion and mythology Reforestation is a scientific process because it is not just planting trees. Forest can be classified as: tropical, evergreen, partly evergreen, deciduous and dry forests based on the climatic conditions and types of trees present. The organic matter of the soil develops primarily from decayed leaves, twigs, branches, roots, and fallen trees, all of which recycle nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, and other important nutrients. Trees occupy an important, valuable and necessary place to our very existence. Depending on the kind of food and shelter they need, different forest animals require different types of habitat. Teaching kids about trees is a step in an Earth-friendly direction. Trees cool the streets and the city. The ancient Greeks developed a classification about 300 bce in which plants were grouped according to their general form—that is, as trees, shrubs, undershrubs, and vines. They release oxygen which is essential to living. In urban environments, trees absorb pollutant gases like nitrogen oxides, ozone, and carbon monoxide, and sweep up particles like dust and smoke. The tree also helps as a filter to the atmosphere. Trees play a key role in capturing rainwater and reducing the risk of natural disasters like floods and landslides. Trees are extremely important for us. Trees and forests provide a habitat for many species of animals and plants. One key to exploiting terrestrial habitats is increasing complexity of the plant’s form to allow specialization of function. A forest is defined as an area forming an ecosystem. While humans may not be particularly aware of the trees that surround them, their importance has only grown as climate change worsens. Trees help moderate temperatures by creating a cooling effect which can counteract the heating effect of pavement and buildings in an urban environment. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. However, tree forms are found in all the vascular plants, from the club mosses and ferns to the gymnosperms and angiosperms. If all the tissues of massive tree trunks were alive, for example, the physiological cost of maintaining these structures in the living state would be enormous and probably unattainable. Large-diameter trees dominate the structure, dynamics and function of many temperate and tropical forests. An elegant solution came in the form of tremendous structural adaptations: new tissues and organs permitted localization of the functions of the plant body. Societal Impact Statement Trees play a critical role for people and the planet. Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? One Tree Planted is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization and your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. This process prevents harmful waterslide erosion and reduces the risk of over-saturation and flooding. Importance of forest It is furthermore true that, among the flowering plants, trees are found not only among the most primitive members (order Magnoliales) but also among the more specialized, or advanced, members, such as the roses (order Rosales). Trees muffle urban noise almost as effectively as stone walls. Although both scaling theory and competition theory make predictions about the relative composition and spatial patterns of large-diameter trees compared to smaller diameter trees, these predictions are rarely tested. The system requires adequate knowledge of the climate, the landform, the soil type of the area. Trees decrease the surrounding temperature by evaporating water from leaves. We gather under the cool shade they provide during outdoor activities with family and friends. They provide habitats for numerous species of fauna and flora, firewood for cooking and heat, materials for buildings and places of spiritual, cultural and recreational importance. Popular classifications, however, remain useful tools for studying the common stresses that the environment exerts on all plants and the general patterns of adaptation that are shown no matter how distantly plants are related. Yes, today I stand before you to speak on the importance of planting trees. It is because of plants and trees that we are able to survive on this planet. The most numerous of the monocotyledonous trees are palms; others include agaves, aloes, dracaenas, screw pines, and yuccas. In this article, you discovered the importance of trees in forest and urban settings, how they affect the environment, wildlife, and our health. Trees exhale the life-giving oxygen without which it will not possible for the human beings or other species to live. 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