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Why plant trees?

by Vivian Nabisere | 04-11-2021 20:32 recommendations 1

Why plant trees?

Climate change is a change in weather patterns which is caused by carbon dioxide and other green house gases.

Today, climate change can be seen in various occurrences such as global warming, desertification, extreme weather events and wildfires, which has made timely mitigation efforts very crucial.

 Mitigation is an anthropogenic intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases (IPCC, 2001a). One of these impactful actions is Planting trees.

But why is planting trees considered an effective mitigation strategy?

Trees sequester atmospheric carbon by absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide and using it in their photosynthesis. Though all plants can do this, the prominent size and longevity of trees renders them able to sequester a significant amount of carbon from the atmosphere. 

Trees regulate to rainfall formation through evapo-transpiration. 
They are also crucial in desertification control. This is evident in afforestation being a major activity in the Great Green Wall project in Africa, that aims towards restoration of degraded land in arid and semi-arid regions.

Trees are also windbreaks through providing protection to bith humans and animals against strong winds, which are becoming more frequent in Uganda nowadays.

For reasons above and more, tree planting campaigns are a popular positive response towards climate change. Proactively, the first step before tree planting is sustainable forest management which involves the administrative, legal, technical, economic, social and environmental aspects of the conservation and use of forests.

This is important now, more than ever because we are losing many forests to deforestation, degradation and wildfires and this is accelerating climate change. 

Most importantly, planting the right tree in the suitable environment for it to flourish is crucial for anyone in action.


References


Causes of Climate Change
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/climate-change/causes-of-climate-change

FAO
https://www.fao.org/sustainable-forests-management/en/

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200521-planting-trees-doesnt-always-help-with-climate-change


Image source: Wikimedia Commons
 
A tree seedling

no image

  • Dormant user Vivian Nabisere
 
 
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4 Comments

  • Hannah Mentor says :
    Hello Vivian, this is your mentor Hannah.
    Sorry for the late comment.
    I wonder how much (numerically) tree planting is effective fore mitigating climate change.
    Also, it's incredible how people finds outthe right tree for the suitable environment.
    Thank you for your great article and please keep up with your wonderful work :)

    Posted 01-12-2021 22:24

  • Joon Mentor says :
    Hello Vivian, this is your mentor Joon.

    There are different reasons to plant trees just like you have pointed out in your article.
    However, planting a random tree which does not suit for the environment does not help
    much. For instance, Avocado trees should be planted on rich soil, which has plenty
    of minerals and substances as it uses a ton of those during the process of making its
    buttery fruit. If it is planted in different regions, it would deplete the minerals in soil.
    However, if it is matched well, it would create a positive synergy to environment.

    Well read, and hope you are doing well.

    Yours,

    Joon
    Posted 07-11-2021 01:14

Momina Ahsan

  • Sagar Koirala says :
    Hello Vivian,
    Warm Greetings

    It is indeed simple and very well-written report. Keep Writing.

    Regards,
    Sagar Koirala
    Posted 05-11-2021 14:10

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