All World
Gayatri Pariwar

Trees have played an important role in the evolution, sustenance and development of life on earth. Since the beginning of this world, they have furnished us with life’s essentials like food, oxygen, shelter, medicine, furniture and so on. Who would not appreciate a peaceful and aesthetically pleasing environment produced by the lined up trees on the sides of our streets, parks, playgrounds and in the yards of our homes? But the ever-increasing population has led to the deforestation of earth at almost the same rate. This coupled with pollution and modernization has produced an ecological imbalance. If this grave problem is not tackled in time, it may lead to the destruction of life on earth.

According to one satellite survey, at present there are about thirty thousand billion trees around the world. About 24% of them are reported to be in the dense forests in the warm zone, 22% are in the cold zone and the rest of the trees are scattered across the globe. However, the number of trees has been drastically reducing every year. In spite of the warnings of climate experts and scientists about global warming and the possibility of climate change, it appears that all over the world, including India, forests are being converted into cities due to abnormal industrialization, modernization and creation of highways and dams. In Brazil alone, about 17000 square kilometer area of dense forest has been demolished in the past 15 years.

Based on different survey reports, it is estimated that about seven million hectares of forest cover is destroyed every year, around the world. At this speed, between 2010 and 2017, about 6 to 8 % of forests have already been knocked down. 17 to 35% of the forests will be eloped by 2040. Situation will be more ghastly by then. In this process, 20 to 75 of rarely available plant species will also be demolished every day. This will result in loss of another 15% of plant species permanently. Loss of trees will certainly affect the climate.

If we consider the importance of trees from economic point of view, there is a profit of rupees 1.41 lakhs from a forest of one hectare area in the hot zone of the world. In addition, in 50 years, one tree, directly or indirectly, gives the profit of about rupees 15.7 lakhs. Just one tree helps in maintaining the humidity of the land equivalent to the value of rupees 3 lakhs. It also preserves oxygen valued rupees 2.5 lakhs. Higher benefits of a tree are that it provides fresh air equivalent to rupees 5 lakhs and also controls water pollution. It also provides shelter to other animals and insects equivalent to rupees 2.5 lakhs. Based on the benefits mentioned above, rishis and saints have placed trees in the rank of God and linked their importance with worship to preserve specific trees, such as Peepal, Tulsi, Banyan, etc for unlimited time. However, human greed, selfishness, and arrogance have ignored the importance of trees and their major role in human life, resulting in climatic catastrophe.

Trees contribute in many other ways to our society and human life. For example, trees can also be compared with air conditioner, which provide us cold air during summer time. In forests of warm zone, laborers relax under a tree after hard work for some cold air. As per one survey study, one healthy tree provides cool air equivalent to the cool air of ten air conditioners, working for 20 hours. Trees surrounding homes also provide cool air and reduce the need of air conditioner by 30%. Eventually we save 20 to 30% of electricity as well. A forest spread in one acre area, absorbs 6 tons of CO 2 and creates four tons of Oxygen, equivalent to the average annual income of 18 people in India.

Some trees have the capability of absorbing pollution from the air and make the air more clean and fresh. Peepal has unlimited capacity of absorbing smoke from the air. It can absorb up to 4.15% of smoke from the air and that’s why Peepal is worshipped in India as God. Another very beneficial plant is Tulsi, which provides pure air and also destroys harmful insects from the surrounding. It also provides long life to all those who use it as herbal supplement. Other trees as well create important life elements for us.

Therefore, we should support the preservation of trees and play important role in saving them. At individual level, we should plant a few trees in our yards; where possible, plant native species that grow tall and provide shade on the sides of the road; and nurture them.