7 Towering Facts About Trees

Trees are a very important part of the Earth’s landscaping. Without them, humans would not have the air quality needed to survive. Trees provide us with oxygen, and they do so while reducing carbon dioxide in the air. Trees helped transform the Earth into a utopia for animals of all kinds. Trees have provided food, housing, and wood for heat and cooking for our ancestors. Every human being on Earth has used at least one botanical byproduct in their lifetime. One of the scariest facts about trees is that Earth now has 46 percent less of them than it did 12,000 years ago. Deforestation by humans is one of the biggest threats to our planet. Read below for some more tree facts that will make you appreciate everything these incredible plants do for us and our planet.

7 Tree Facts

1. 1. Trees can make you happier.(source) Studies have shown that a walk through a wooded area with trees can lower blood pressure, cortisol levels, heart rate, and stress.

2. 2. The largest tree in the world (by volume) is named General Sherman. (source) Located in Sequoia National Park in California, it stands 275 feet (83.8m) tall and has 52,000 cubic feet of wood (1,486.6m).

3. 3. Planting trees can help reduce your homes energy costs. (source) Planting trees in specific areas around your house can help keep it cool in the summer by providing shade and physically cooling the area around them. Trees can also provide protection from cold winds helping your heating costs in the colder winter months.

4. 4. The oldest tree on Earth is an estimated 4,765-year-old Bristlecone Pine named Methuselah. (source) Located in the White Mountains of California, it is as old as the great pyramids. To protect this tree from harm, its exact location is kept private.

5. 5. Tree rings are used to determine how old a tree is. (source) This study is known as Dendrochronology and its data can tell us a lot about past climate and weather conditions.

6. 6. Trees can heal and protect themselves against disease and insect damage. (source) If an injury occurs, a tree will convert stored sugars into defensive chemicals and deposit them around the wound. Trees can also synthesize compounds make them taste bad to harmful insects.

7. 7. Trees can help reduce the effects of climate change on our planet. (source) Trees absorb carbon dioxide, provide shade, protect coastal communities, and increase biodiversity.