Try to imagine a community without trees. Yes, it would be dull and lifeless. Ever since life began, trees have already been showering us with a lot of benefits. Trees provide us with two of the most important things for our existence: food and oxygen. Trees also offer us medicine and shelter. Trees continue to give us benefits beyond our imagination.
Here are some of the top benefits of trees in our community.
Economic Benefits
This may come to you as a surprise but homes with trees are 2-15% more expensive than properties without trees. Homes that are built on a tree-lined street can cost up to 18% more.
Trees help in conservation of energy. During summer, trees provide shade that in turn can help homeowners cut costs on air conditioning. On the other hand, during winter trees can help cut on heating costs and can serve as windbreaks. Further, businesses with the presence of trees tend to attract more clients than those without trees.
Environmental Benefits
Trees supply oxygen and improve the quality of air. Trees also help in conserving water, preventing soil erosion, and most importantly, trees are home to a variety of wildlife. You may not also be aware that trees absorb pollutants such as nitrogen oxide, dust, and ammonia.
Trees also provide us with warmth by being a screen to from wind. It also serves us our shield from heavy rainfall, hail, and sleet. They also help maintain low levels of carbon dioxide that aids in reducing the greenhouse effect.
Health Benefits
Aside from its environmental benefits, trees also offer many health benefits to us people. Trees help improve pollution in the city. Trees make air cooler that is why it is relaxing to go for a walk on the streets. They are also natural shields that protect people from harmful UV rays.
Moreover, studies have proven that areas with more trees are places where residents have better respiratory health and lower blood pressure. Trees also have a healing effect. A study that was published in 1984 showed that sight of trees and gardens help patients to recover faster from their illness compared to patients who are stuck with a sight of walls only.
Social Benefits
We have discussed almost all the known benefits of trees in the community, but we often forget how trees help our social environment. Trees are natural walls that create natural space for privacy among homes in an urban community. They naturally block views into nearby homes or structures giving the residents the privacy that they can enjoy.
Aside from providing homes with natural windbreaks, trees also offer a form of covering to reduce noise in the neighboring areas. There are also studies that show that the presence of trees in neighborhoods lowers violence and criminal acts.
Further, streets with trees on the side have better traffic safety than streets without trees because trees make streets appear narrower that will encourage drivers to drive more carefully.
Surely, trees provide us with so many benefits that we sometimes fail to realize. We should also do our part in taking care of them in return.