Narrating the importance of planting and propagating trees is like looking at the very sound advantages of trees to the history of human existence since we had a grip of the knowledge of the trees. Over time, they are known to be as important to man as the air we breathe. Going by the exchange of air between man and trees, there are also numerous benefits of trees to the community of man.
By definition, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. The narrow definition of a tree may be include only the woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are usable as lumber or plants above a specified height. But in wider definitions, the taller palms, tree ferns, bananas, and bamboos are also trees.
Trees, as you know them, have been in existence for 370 million years. It is estimated that there are around three trillion mature trees in the world. Functionally, there are a number of roles that trees play in our midst as individuals and of course as community.
They usually reproduce using seeds. Flowers and fruit may be present, but some trees, such as conifers, instead have pollen cones and seed cones. Palms, bananas, and bamboos also produce seeds, but tree ferns produce spores instead. They also play a significant role in reducing erosion and moderating the climate. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store large quantities of carbon in their tissues.
Read ALSO: The Fastest Growing Trees in the Northern Nigeria
What do we however have to expect when we plant and propagate trees? Without much ado, let us broaden some of the known importance of planting and propagating trees as we highlight them right below:
-
Social Importance
Trees make life nicer. It has been shown that spending time among trees and green spaces reduces the amount of stress that we carry around with us in our daily lives. Hospital patients have been shown to recover from surgery more quickly when their hospital room offered a view of trees.
Children have been shown to retain more of the information taught in schools if they spend some of their time outdoors in green spaces. Trees are often planted as living memorials or reminders of loved ones or to commemorate significant events in our lives.
-
Communal Importance
Even though you may own the trees on your property your neighbors may benefit from them as well. Through careful planning trees can be an asset to your entire community. Tree lined streets have a traffic calming effect, traffic moves more slowly and safely.
Trees can be placed to screen unwanted views or noise from busy highways. Trees can complement the architecture or design of buildings or entire neighborhoods.
-
Environmental Importance
Trees offer many environmental benefits. Trees reduce the urban heat island effect through evaporative cooling and reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches parking lots and buildings. This is especially true in areas with large impervious surfaces, such as parking lots of stores and industrial complexes.
Trees improve our air quality by filtering harmful dust and pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide from the air we breathe.
Trees give off oxygen that we need to breathe. They reduce the amount of storm water runoff, which reduces erosion and pollution in our waterways and may reduce the effects of flooding. Many species of wildlife depend on trees for habitat. Trees provide food, protection, and homes for many birds and mammals.
-
Economic Importance
Well placed trees can reduce your cooling costs in the summer by shading the south and west sides of your home. If deciduous trees are used they will allow the sun to pass through and warm your home in the winter.
Evergreen trees on the north side of your home and shrubs around the foundation of your home can act as a windbreak to reduce the cooling effects of winter winds. The value of a well landscaped home with mature healthy trees can be as much as 10% higher than a similar home with no or little landscaping. (Topping will reduce the value of your trees)
Some indirect economic benefits of trees are that if we reduce the energy we use then utility companies will have less demand placed on the infrastructure, thus reducing operating costs which can be passed on to the consumer.
-
Budget Gardening
the first benefit is to your bank balance. Rather than spending money on plants and seeds at your local nursery, propagation is a cost-effective (even free) way of increasing the plants in your garden.
-
An Improved Plant
Propagating a new plant via cuttings ensures the new plant will be identical to the parent. It is also a great way to create new varieties with unique characteristics resistant to disease. Although this is a bit advanced for home gardeners, creating new hybrids and cultivars can produce plants with unique characteristics that may also be disease resistant.
Propagation is important today as it enables the continuation of particular plant species that may be in danger of extinction for several reasons such as an invasion of species or climate change. For home gardeners it is a way of ensuring that you will always have your favorite flowers or plants growing in your garden.
