DID you know? Trees are the longest living organisms on earth. Trees are very important to the continuity of life on earth. The stature, strength, and endurance of trees give them a cathedral-like quality. Because of their potential for long life, trees frequently are planted as living memorials. We often become personally attached to trees that we or those we love have planted.
We like trees around us because they make life more pleasant. Most of us respond to the presence of trees beyond simply observing their beauty. We feel serene, and restfulin a grove of trees. We are “at home” there. Hospital patients have been shown to recover from surgery more quickly when their hospital room offered a view of trees.
We can summarize the benefits that we acquire from trees as follows:
Communal Benefits
Even though trees may be private property, their size often makes them part of the community as well. Sincetrees occupy considerable space, planning is required if both you and your neighbours are to benefit. With proper selection and maintenance, trees can enhance and function on one property without infringing on the rights and privileges of neighbours.
City trees often serve several architectural and engineering functions. They provide privacy, emphasize views, or screen out objectionable views. They reduce glare and reflection. They direct pedestrian traffic. They provide background to and soften, complement, or enhance architecture.
Environmental Benefits
Trees alter the environment in which we live by moderating climate, improving air quality, conserving water, and harboring wildlife. Climate control is obtained by moderating the effects ofthe sun, wind, and rain. Radiant energy from the sun is absorbed or deflected by leaves on trees.
We are cooler when we stand in the shade of trees and are not exposed to direct sunlight. In winter, we value the sun’s radiant energy. Temperature in the vicinity of trees is cooler than that away from trees. The larger the tree, the greater the cooling. By using trees in the cities, we are able to moderate the heat-island effect caused by pavement and buildings in commercial areas.
Wind speed and direction can be affected by trees. The more compact the foliage on the tree or group of trees, the greater the influence of the windbreak.
The downward fall of rain is initially absorbed or deflected by trees, which provides some protection for people, animals and buildings. Trees intercept water, store some of it, and reduce storm runoff and the possibility of flooding.
Dew and frost are less common under trees because less radiant energy is released from the soil in those areas at night.
Air quality can be improved through the use of trees, shrubs, and grass. Leaves filter the air we breathe by removing dust and other particulates. Leaves absorb carbon dioxide from the air to form carbohydrates that are used in the plant’s structure and function. In this process, leaves also absorb other air pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide, and sulphur dioxide and give off oxygen and other minerals essential to the fertility of the earth’s soil.
Economic Benefits
Individual trees and shrubs have value, but the variability of species, size, condition, and function makes determining their economic value difficult. The economic benefits of trees can be both direct and indirect.
Direct economic benefits are usually associated with energy costs. Air-conditioning costs are lower in a tree-shaded home. Heating costs are reduced when a home has a windbreak. Trees increase in value from the time they are planted until they mature. Trees are a wise investment of funds because landscaped homes are more valuable than none landscaped homes. The savings in energy costs and the increase in property value directly benefit each home owner.
The indirect economic benefits of trees are even greater. These benefits are available to the community or region. Lowered electricity bills are paid by customers when power companies are able to use less water in their cooling towers, build fewer new facilities to meet peak demands, use reduced amounts of fossil fuel in their furnaces, and use fewer measures to control air pollution. Communities also can save money if fewer facilities must be built to control storm water in the region. To the individual, these savings are small, but to the community, reductions in these expenses are often in the thousands of Kwacha.
Why do we talk about deforestation in Zambia?
Deforestation, which refers to the loss of forests/trees due to over exploitation as well as conversion of forests to other land uses,leads to bare land; thus resulting in the loss of the above mentioned benefits.
According to the study conducted by the UN-REDD+ Programme in 2012, Zambia loses between 250 000 and 300 000 hectares (2500 km2 to 3000 km2) of forest per year. To put it into perspective, an area equivalent to more than 200 000 football pitches is chopped down every year. This is surely an unprecedented level of deforestation. This news is very alarming and thus we need to take interest in the conservation of our trees in order to continue enjoying the benefits they offer.
Replant what you use
Each of us uses an average of 65 cubic feet of wood every year – equivalent to six 12-14” diameter trees – in paper and wood products. Worldwide, tree harvesting far outstrips replanting, threatening the clean water, air supplies, and livelihoods of many people. How can you help? You can replant the trees you use, quickly and easily.
Reduce – Reuse – Recycle – REPLANT.
Try and take stock of all the wood products that you use everyday and replant to replace what you use, or you can choose to sponsor three, five, ten or more trees seedlings for those already doing the planting. It’s that easy. Not only will you help balance out the equation, but you will also directly benefit the people whose lives depend on all that a healthy forest provides.
There is no better time to replant than now! By planting trees and shrubs, we return to a more natural, less artificial environment. Birds and other wildlife are attracted to the area. The natural cycles of plant growth, reproduction, and decomposition are again present, both above and below the soil.
Thank you for taking time to read this column. Next week Wart Hog will detail some of the tree species indigenous to Zambia and why they are important.
For inquiries please contact the Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia on Tel/Fax: +260 211 251630 or emailwecsz@coppernet.zm or send a letter to Wart Hog, P.O Box 30255, Lusaka.