Nature’s Guardians: How Every Being Helps to Protect Our Precious Earth, Part 1 of a Multi-part Series

Trees are indispensable to sustaining Earth’s ecological balance. New research has uncovered another extraordinary ability of trees - their cooling effect. Dr. Mallory Barnes, an environmental scientist at Indiana University, US, says “Moving forward, we need to think about tree planting not just as a way to absorb carbon dioxide but also the cooling effects in adapting for climate change, to help cities be resilient against these very hot temperatures.” Expanding green spaces in urban areas can significantly reduce the impact of extreme flooding. According to the landscaping company Citygreen, “Over an acre of tree cover can reduce runoff by up to 62,000 gallons (234,695 liters) from a one-inch rainstorm event.”

At the University of Birmingham, England, a team of researchers found that microbes in tree bark can remove both methane gas and carbon dioxide. The researchers calculated that their finding means trees are 10 percent more beneficial than previously thought for protecting the climate from global warming. A collaborative report by hundreds of leading forest ecologists states that “forest conservation and restoration could make a major contribution to tackling the climate crisis.” Their study of forest lands led to the assertion that in healthy ecosystems, the existence of aging trees can sequester up to 226 gigatons of carbon. Dr. Tom Crowther, professor in the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zurich, says, “Conserving forests, ending deforestation, and empowering people who live in association with those forests has the power to capture 61% of our potential. It can be achieved by millions of local communities, Indigenous communities, farmers, and foresters who promote biodiversity.”