A Trees Value

Trees could be considered the basis of life. Not only do they help sustain human life, but they also hold their own elegance and beauty not to mention personal value.


First of all, trees are constantly are pulling in our harmful pollutants from the air as well as carbon dioxide. Al of this is recycled back into oxygen for humans and animals alike to breathe. With today's planet inundated with more carbon dioxide than every from cars, coal processing plants and factories, having a natural way to convert this pollution into something healthy is important. Not only do we need the air to breathe but pollutants such as carbon dioxide are known to be responsible for blending with the atmosphere and creating what we know today as the green house effect. The green house effect allows more and more harmful ultraviolet rays to beat down on our earth's surface. In result, the climate gets hotter, which creates a chain reaction such as the melting of polar ice caps at an alarming rate.

As scientists look into fixing the earth's atmosphere, one of their most important cures includes the replanting of trees all around the world. This replanting has even earned its own holiday and is called Arbor Day. In the end, the planting of these seedlings has caused many green house emissions to turn into pure clean air.


If scientific reasons aren't important enough to call a tree valuable, how about its historic context? The tree has been around since the beginning of time, possibly even before humans were on the earth. A tree's value has been so important that they have been told in stories such as how the tree played a role in the biblical Garden of Eden or even how trees played roles in mythological tales. In American history, a story has been told for centuries about the famous Johnny Appleseed, who was said to have planted apple trees for miles around, possible helping the pioneers settle into new lands with the promise of the sweet fruit of the tree to guide their way.

The tree itself can also tell a story, that is one of historic droughts or floods. By examining the rings within a tree, scientists can detect whether there has been significant climate changes throughout time or even catastrophic events.

Because of a tree's value, one can often read how a tree is used metaphorically to represent life, death and growth. The term tree is used to represent one's ancestors in their family, such as the family tree.

Are trees the basis of life? If not, they certainly play a huge role.