FILTHY AIR: Without trees, humans would not be able survive because the air would be unsuitable for breathing. If anything, people would have to develop gas masks that filter the little oxygen that would be left in the air.
Forests are one of the Earth's greatest natural resources. There is a reason why we often figuratively speak of 'the tree of life'; forests are key to supporting life on Earth. Eight thousand years ago, half of the Earth's land surface was covered by forests or wooded areas.
1 If forests disappear, the amount of carbon dioxide in air will increase, resulting in the increase of earth's temperature. 2 In the absence of trees and plants, the animals will not get food and shelter. 3 In the absence of trees, the soil will not hold water, which will cause floods.
Would it be sufficient for humans to survive? In one year, a mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen as ten people breathe. If phytoplankton provides us with half our required oxygen, at current population levels we could survive on Earth for at least 4000 years before the oxygen store ran empty.
We depend on forests for our survival, from the air we breathe to the wood we use. Besides providing habitats for animals and livelihoods for humans, forests also offer watershed protection, prevent soil erosion and mitigate climate change.
Forests provide ecosystem services such as food, fuelwood, medicinal plants, clean water and income, all of which indirectly impact human health and well-being.
Trees fight the atmospheric greenhouse effect. Trees conserve water and reduce soil erosion. Trees save energy. Trees modify local climate.
Is a tree alive? Yes, but not all of it. Only 1% of a tree is living, and the rest of the tree is made of non-living cells. The non-living parts of the tree provide necessary support to keep the living parts alive and growing.
It is proposed that one large tree can provide a day's supply of oxygen for up to four people. Trees also store carbon dioxide in their fibers helping to clean the air and reduce the negative effects that this CO2 could have had on our environment.
FILTHY AIR: Without trees, humans would not be able survive because the air would be unsuitable for breathing. If anything, people would have to develop gas masks that filter the little oxygen that would be left in the air.
We cannot live without nature
Our every breath, our food and water- our very existence comes from nature. Our very survival depends on the laws of nature all working perfectly together and in harmony. We need healthy forests and oceans to regulate global temperatures from rising.
And the least tree-filled countries? There are five places with no forest whatsoever, according to World Bank's definition* - Nauru, San Marino, Qatar, Greenland and Gibraltar - while in a further 12 places there is less than one per cent.
As a result, without trees, there would be substantially more carbon dioxide in the air and significantly less oxygen! The filthy air would be filled with airborne particles and pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide, and the temperature might rise by up to 12 degrees Fahrenheit.
This means that if each person in the U.S. planted one tree per year it would offset only about 3 percent of the carbon dioxide they produce each year, after all 20 trees had matured. But, it would offset 26 percent for somebody in India.
A single mature tree, meanwhile, may take in about 50 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. At this rate, it would take 640 trees per person to account for all American emissions, which adds up to more than 200 billion trees.
About half of Earth's oxygen comes from the ocean.
The majority of this production is from oceanic plankton — drifting plants, algae, and some bacteria that can photosynthesize. One particular species, Prochlorococcus, is the smallest photosynthetic organism on Earth.
They're listening. That's the overarching conclusion from multiple research studies: While plants don't have ears, they can “hear” sounds in their local environment. More importantly, they can react.
How Many Trees Were There 100 Years Ago? #2. 100 Years ago, the US had only about 70 million trees. Back then, the US had approximately 70 million trees, because the late 1910s witnessed an exponential growth of the timber industry as a result of the rapid developments in the recreation and construction industry.
Changes in the Last Hundred Years
The U.S. has been steadily adding back forests since the 1940s. According to The North American Forest Commission, we have two-thirds of the trees that we had in the year 1600. But the news isn't all good – cities in the US have been quickly losing critical urban forests.
a) If we go on cutting trees: Rainfall and fertility of the soil will decrease. Changes in natural calamities will increase. It will also lead to a decrease in the water holding capacity of the soil which will result in floods.
Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide. If forests are cleared, or even disturbed, they release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Forest loss and damage is the cause of around 10% of global warming. There's simply no way we can fight the climate crisis if we don't stop deforestation.