Pollution is one of the major problems in developed countries and metro cities. Governments take steps continuously to reduce pollution in metro cities and industrial areas. However, pollution can only be controlled and not reduced completely.
The major resources of pollution are automobiles and industries. Smoke from automobiles and emitting gases from industries pollute the air beyond the safety levels. Air pollution is the cause of major diseases like stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, pulmonary disease, and respiratory infections.
According to the World Health Organization, around 4.2 million people die every year due to air pollution. Also, 91 percent of the world’s population lives in areas, with air quality pollution exceeding the WHO guidelines.
Trees can control air pollution
Every year, forests around the world absorb one-third of global emissions. Particles, odors, and polluting gasses like oxides of nitrogen, ammonia, and sulfur dioxide settle on the leaves of trees. Trees absorb these toxic chemicals, through their stomata, or’ pores,’ efficiently filtering them out of the atmosphere.
Trees also mitigate the effect of greenhouse gas by trapping heat, reducing ozone levels at ground level and releasing oxygen that gives life. If we continue our present rate of deforestation, the quality of our air will have serious implications.
Trees cool the environment
Trees cool the environment by turning a lot of liquid water from the soil into atmospheric water vapor that carries latent heat away from its source. On a hot summer day, driving from a shopping center to a shady street does not take long to realize this effect in action. As trees release water from their leaves through transpiration, it enters the atmosphere to cool it.
The process is similar to the evaporation pads used for cooling greenhouses. However, in trees, water moves from the soil into the roots of the tree. Then it travels through the water-conducting system of the tree, eventually transpiring from the leaves. The water released in its form of gas vapor has a cooling effect on the surrounding air.
Trees take carbon dioxide
As humans and animals take oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, trees absorb CO2 and release oxygen to maintain a balance of both in the atmosphere. The areas with fewer trees have more carbon dioxide as a few trees cannot absorb all the CO2 and release enough oxygen. As a result, these areas are hotter than the areas with sufficient trees.
Therefore it is essential to plant more trees in such areas that are usually hotter than standard climatic conditions.
Trees control the nitric oxides and ozone
Trees take on a variety of air pollutants, including ozone and nitrogen oxides, which lowers the levels of pollutants we breathe in the environment. Nitric oxide is transformed into nitric acid in the atmosphere. The trees absorb the nitric acids through their pores or stomata. It is the quantity of nitric oxide in many forest areas of the United States that determines ozone concentrations. If it were not for trees to absorb nitric oxides, airborne ozone would be greater.
Trees control greenhouse effect
Due to plenty of gases generated by large-scale manufacturing procedures, heat from the rays of the sun is trapped in the environment of the earth. The process is known as the ‘greenhouse effect’ and contributes to the general increase in the temperature of earth.
It might not sound much, but a rise in temperature of 1.5 degrees could trigger rapid icecap melting, serious drought and rising sea level, and the loss of many essential species such as bees, dolphins, and elephants.
Through the photosynthesis cycle, trees can absorb carbon dioxide from our atmosphere and decrease the ‘greenhouse effect,’. It creates a less polluted, more viable environment for our generations to come.
Planting trees near buildings
The hot air from air conditioners enters the atmosphere and increases its temperature by several degrees. If we plant trees near our homes and offices in such a way that they provide shade to our buildings, they stay cool even in hot climatic conditions.
It can reduce the use of air conditioning to a much extent, thereby reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. However, the trees should be planted in a way to block the sun only in summer but not in winters. Some people also plant a garden on their rooftops and on their outer walls to keep their homes cool.
Planting trees near buildings not only cools them but also cleans the air around them. Therefore, homeowners should leave some space for planting trees to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
Final Words
These are the reasons why trees are essential in high pollution areas. Therefore we should not cut trees and plant more of them to reduce the pollution levels in cities. The professional tree removing services like tree loppers Kings Langley also removes the trees only when they are dead or infected with diseases.