6 Undeniable Ways Trees Benefit the Planet

Trees are perfect for relaxing in a hammock or enjoying the changing seasons, but calming foliage isn’t the only reason to be grateful for trees. Trees impact our environment in ways that help keep our planet healthy and beautiful. Here are six ways trees benefit the earth.

1. Lower Energy Costs

You can have your cake and eat it when you plant trees in your yard. Not only does planting trees make your yard look nice, but it also helps lower your energy costs. The U.S. Department of Energy states that strategically positioning trees in your yard could save you as much as 25% of your energy consumption.

To put that in a wide-scale perspective, research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and affiliated partners shows that effective tree planting can save $7.8 billion annually in urban areas, with another $3.9 billion saved from reduced power plant emissions. 

Trees lower your energy bills in several ways:

• Shade from trees reduces the need for cranking the AC in the summer.

• The shade that covers your AC also keeps the unit cooler, allowing the system to run more efficiently.

• Trees block racing winds from damaging your HVAC system, which can make it work harder to regulate your home’s temperatures.

2. Provide Support for Wildlife

Fish can’t climb trees, but that doesn’t mean trees don’t play a vital role in protecting them and other species from the elements and natural predators. 

An entire novel could be written on the ways that trees support wildlife, but to keep it short and sweet, here are a few facts on how trees help keep the animal kingdom thriving:

• Serve as a food source for pollinators and other animals

• Provide a place to nest for birds, squirrels, raccoons, and other critters

• Serve as a source of shelter for many different animals

• Provide animals with cool water sources on hot summer days

• Create a safe haven free of traffic noise and light pollution

• Provide shade for animals in hot climates

3. Clean the Air

The next time you take a deep breath, thank a tree. Trees are vital to our clean air supply because they absorb carbon dioxide and release fresh, clean oxygen into the air. Just like how trees pull heavy metals out of the soil, trees also intercept and absorb pollutants like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. 

According to the USDA, a single mature and leafy tree may be able to produce enough oxygen to provide enough oxygen for four people in a given day, so imagine how beneficial it would be if everyone planted trees in their yards.

4. Improve Soil Conditions

When you plant a tree, you’re also investing in better soil quality for your property. Trees aid in soil conditions in more ways than you might think, though, which is just another reason why you should be grateful for trees. 

Check out the following impacts trees have on the ground:

• Trees help control soil erosion by preventing water runoff and physically securing soil and plants through their elaborate root systems. Their canopies also protect the ground from damage due to plastering rain, hail, and snow.

• Trees filter sewage and reduce the effects of animal waste and roadside spills.

• Through phytoremediation, trees help remove, break down, and clean up heavy metals from the soil and groundwater.

• Trees hold onto water in the ground, which in turn nourishes plants and microorganisms.

• Trees provide habitats for bacteria, fungi, and insects that enrich the soil. 

• Trees absorb nutrients deep into the ground and release those nutrients through their leaves come fall.

• Trees encourage organic decay of woodland flora and fauna, helping to restore the soil.

5. Protect and Clean Water

The real superheroes of the planet don’t have capes—they have leaves and needles! While trees get the biggest reputation for providing us with oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide, the truth is that trees do so much more, especially when it comes to healthy water sources.

Here’s how trees protect our watersheds, bodies of water, and surrounding land:

• Trees support water availability by preventing fast evaporation in arid or drought-prone climates.

• Trees stabilize rivers, ponds, and lakes with their root systems by keeping the sediment from washing away.

• Like giant umbrellas, trees prevent water runoff by shielding the ground from torrential downpours and enabling water to cling to leaves and evaporate rather than land on soaked soil.

• Root systems slow runoff and absorb excess water.

• Trees shade bodies of water from direct heat, which keeps it cooler and protects the animals that live in it while better hydrating the animals that rely on drinking water from those sources.

6. Help Cool the Planet

With the threat of global warming, it’s important now more than ever to plant trees. This is because trees provide shade from the sun and partake in a process called evapotranspiration, which is a key part of the water cycle. 

Though it may sound like a major tongue-twister, evapotranspiration and shade are a powerful duo that can reduce temperatures on the hottest summer days by as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit.

Extra Incentives

Trees offer many benefits to the environment, but they also help you out by providing seclusion, lowering noise pollution, and boosting your home’s value. 

In fact, buyers spend more on a home with mature trees. Large trees add around 3% to 15% to a residential property’s value, according to research conducted by the University of Washington. It’s almost like home buyers know how much they’ll save by having trees on their property.

So hire a landscaper to help figure out the best ways to plant trees in your yard. Doing so will help out the environment—and your wallet.