Benefits of trees

Trees are fundamental to supporting biodiversity and fighting climate change locally and globally.

Something like 53% of UK wildlife species are in decline – an alarming figure that rises to 58% for butterflies – and so many of them rely on woodland including bats, birds, insects, fungi and small mammals. A third of all woodland wildlife species are in decline with one in ten at risk of extinction. Figures for Jersey are more difficult to ascertain but it’s not unreasonable to imagine a similarly shocking figure.

Oaks are a great example of how important trees are for biodiversity, supporting more wildlife than any other British tree species – around 2,300 in total. This includes 326 dependent species of which 229 are rarely found elsewhere (source: Woodland Trust). They can also live for 1,000 years!

Trees remove carbon from the atmosphere and store (sequester) it using photosynthesis, which can lock it in for centuries. An estimated 213 million tonnes of carbon is stored in living UK trees while a mixed native woodland can store over 400 tonnes including roots and soil (Source: Woodland Trust). Trees also mitigate flood damage by absorbing excess water.

Segueing into food production, trees and hedgerow benefit farmers by improving soil health, reducing erosion, providing shade and sheltering livestock. They also reduce the amount of run-off and pollution.

Another vital use of trees is for green spaces in urban areas, where they create shade, clean the air, improve wellbeing, enhance aesthetics, absorb water and reduce pollution. This is why green areas in towns and cities are so important and why pollution-resilient species such as London plane are ideal.

Finally, trees benefit both physical and mental health. Immersing yourself in nature is proven to have health benefits including reducing stress, anxiety and depression. It can also improve immunity by increasing production of natural killer (NK) cells through the production of phytoncides. These are the chemicals released by trees, especially conifers, that strengthen our immune, nervous and circulatory systems. They are the familiar smell of forest.

These are the reasons why it’s so important for us to plant, protect, care for and educate about trees!

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Main Image: greenparkstudios (Pixabay)