Why Is It Important to Plant Trees?

Planting trees has a number of economic, communal and environmental benefits, according to the City of Bowling Green website. The amount of trees lost to deforestation was reported by the United Nations Environment Program to have reached 80 percent of the Earth's original forested areas in the year 1997.

According to the United Nations Environment Program, the major areas of the Earth now covered by trees was reduced to five major areas, which are the Amazon Basin, Canada, Central Africa, Russia and southeast Asia. To maintain the benefits provided by trees to aid the environment in ways that include providing shelter for all forms of animal life and to act as oxygen filters, the United Nations began an initiative to plant trees to benefit the Earth. Planting trees is described by the United Nations as important because it allows deforested areas to have trees reintroduced.

The U.S. Government's Natural Resource Conservation Service reports trees are of vital environmental importance because of their ability to absorb harmful toxins from the air, such as carbon dioxide and filter them to return oxygen to the atmosphere. The ability to act as a filter makes the planting of trees important, as other harmful materials can be removed from the air including smoke, dust and ash. Trees are also described by the Natural Resource Conservation Service as important filters of water. Trees can reduce the impact of storms and flood waters by slowing the movement of water and soil erosion through their roots.

The City of Bowling Green website reports a number of economically important factors surrounding the planting of trees. By planting trees on the south- and west-facing sides of a home, heating and air costs can be reduced by sheltering the home, providing shade in the summer and protection from cold in the winter. The Natural Resource Conservation Service also reports that the value of a home can be increased by the landscaping of a garden with trees.

Trees can provide many benefits for people who come into contact with them. The Natural Resource Conservation Service explains that stress can be reduced when a person spends some time in an area of green trees and plants. In educational surroundings, the City of Bowling Green reports that children who spend some time each day outdoors in green spaces have increased levels of information retention. People recovering from illnesses and surgical procedures have also shown faster recovery times when they are placed in rooms with views of green spaces and trees.

Planting trees can become an important factor in the life of a community, according to the City of Bowling Green. Tree-lined streets provide reduced traffic speeds and induce better concentration, while in noisy areas around highways planting trees can provide a screen to block unsightly views and dampen noise levels.