Why Trees are Important
By Rowan Adams
T
Trees are big and old and beautiful.he
beauty of trees is in their size, shape, and texture, and in the details of
leaves, flowers, fruits, and bark. They change with the seasons, and we can
enjoy watching them grow over our lifetimes and know that they will be there
after us. Children grow up playing in and around trees, and can watch them grow
as they grow. Because they are bigger than we are, and live longer, trees can
be landmarks in space and time, giving us a sense of continuity, a connection
with the past and the future. For many people trees give a sense of proportion,
putting day-to-day worries into perspective. Trees are good for our health,
and the health of the planet.
Trees can:
• Slow down wind - plants grow better, heating bills
go down.
• Give shade and protection against ultraviolet radiation (more is being
let through because of ozone depletion) and skin cancer.
• Absorb pollution.
• Absorb carbon dioxide and slow down global climate change.
• Stabilise banks.
• Muffle noise.
Trees can provide us with:
• Timber and other craft materials.
• Fuel - wood can be burnt sustainably in cleanburn woodburning stoves in
houses, larger buildings, and in small power stations.
• Food - fruit and nuts.
• Other products such as medicines and dyes (eg Asprin is derived from willow
bark).
• Trees can give shelter and food for innumerable species of animals
and plants.
• Trees are especially important if they form "green corridors"
connecting habitats up with each other and with the countryside beyond.
• Some trees are wildlife in their own right, if they are native to Britain
and indigenous to the place they are planted, and made their own way here after
the last ice age without human help.
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