It is a sad fact that we have destroyed so many trees over the years that we have adversely affected our environment. For years it seemed that nobody knew or cared about the long term effects of our actions. And nowadays it seems that it is all people are talking about. If you ever wondered about the reasons why trees are so vital to our past, present and future, then please take a few minutes to read this article.

Oxygen

Did you know that a normal sized tree can produce enough oxygen in one year to sustain a family of four people? They produce this oxygen via photosynthesis. This process is where the tree takes the sunlight's energy and produces sugar. The sugar is converted into adenosine triphosphate by cellular respiration. Oxygen is a byproduct of this chemical process.

House Value

A home with some tastefully planted trees in its garden can reach a value of up to twenty five percent higher than a similar, but treeless, house. The aesthetic quality and privacy provided by these beautiful plants adds so much to the completion of an ideal family home.

Big Business

As long as we treat trees responsibly they can continue to provide work for many generations of families. The raw material is used to manufacture over fifteen thousand different products. Trees are recyclable, renewable and biodegradable. Some of the more diverse products that are made from wood include:

?Toothpaste
?Vitamins
?Medicines
?Plastics
?Photographic film

Planting New Trees

If we plant twenty million trees, they will produce two hundred and sixty million tons of oxygen. They will also remove ten million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Trees remove carbon dioxide by the same process that they use to produce oxygen ?photosynthesis.

Trees and Animals

Trees provide shelter and food for a huge number of wildlife species. These include birds, squirrels, bugs, monkeys and squirrels. The tree provides shade and reduces the temperature in the forest environment. The fungi contained in trees also improves the soil fertility and makes nest building easier for birds.

Feelgood Factor

It has been proven that looking at trees actually reduces stress and makes people happier with themselves. Workers become more productive when they see beautiful trees outside their office windows. Hospital patients are known to heal faster if they have visibility of trees from their hospital beds. Patients with a tree view will leave hospital up to eight percent faster than patients with the view of a brick wall. It is not known exactly why this is but it must have something to do with the way we relate to Mother Nature.

Shopping and Trees

Consumers are happier top spend their money in a shopping district that has plenty of trees. They are also more will to spend more on products that are for sale in the shopping district with plenty of trees. Again it is not know exactly why this occurs but it may have something to do with the way we connect with nature and trees in particular.