The Green Benefits of Having Trees

We all know that trees are a calming, strong presence to have in our lives and that they are sorely missed when none are to be found. However, trees also offer amazing green benefits to their environment and the people who live near them. The benefits are numerous, but here are a few of the most impressive benefits that trees offer their surrounding areas and resident tree lovers.

Lower Energy Usage

Trees offer the surprising benefit of providing homes with lower energy usage and costs. Homes shaded by trees end up using less energy to cool their homes in the summer because their trees block and absorb the sun's rays before they can enter and heat the home. The opposite is true in the winter; because the trees have dropped their leaves in the fall, sunlight is able to enter the house and warm it, meaning homeowners waste marginally less energy trying to warm their homes in the cold.

Cleaner Air Quality

Trees are invaluable for their ability to clean our mess out of the air. Because they breathe carbon dioxide and release oxygen, trees are able to absorb the pollution we create in our every day lives and give us back the pure, clean air we need in order to breathe.

Erosion Reduction

Thanks to their extensive root networks, trees can help reduce erosion and flooding by retaining more storm water in their nearby soil. By reducing erosion and flooding, trees are able to reduce the pollution that washes into our storm drains. This creates a healthier overall ecosystem because it prevents much of the damage pollution can cause to smaller plant life and area wildlife. A healthier ecosystem is also beneficial to our personal health.

Keep Your Trees Healthy

To reap all of the eco-friendly benefits that trees offer, you need to be sure to keep the trees in your life healthy. The best way to do this is to make sure they are properly pruned and checked for damage at least annually by an arborist or professional tree service. These tree specialists have made the health and care of trees their life's work, and they will do everything possible to keep you and your trees safe throughout their life cycle. When trees do die or become a safety hazard, your professional tree service will also be able to help you remove the trees from your property and give them a new life as firewood or mulch.

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Protecting Young Trees During the Winter Months

With the onset of the winter months, there are numerous factors that can cause damage to a young, newly planted tree. However, this doesn't mean that all efforts to grow a tree are in vain. In fact, there are ways to protect vulnerable trees so that they remain viable long after the cold months of winter have blown away.

Mulch is a simple and inexpensive way to protect and winter-proof a young, newly planted tree. In addition to providing a barrier of protection against wind, freezing temperatures, and frost, covering the base of the tree with mulch also helps trees retain heat from the soil. Because mulch acts as an insulator, it can also prevent damage to a young tree by upheaval. If air temperatures fluctuate too sharply, the soil may be subjected to repeated thawing and freezing patterns. This can cause damage directly to the root or can agitate the soil and cause the upheaval of a young tree. The addition of mulch to the base of the tree helps decrease the chances of this kind of damage.

Many young trees are also susceptible to sunscald during the winter. Sunscald is an injury whereby healthy bark becomes damaged and cracks or peels, causing a fissure within the tree. Sunscalding can be prevented by covering the trunk with a wrap or a plastic tree guard. These preventative measures help by reflecting the sun and insulating the young tree with a soil temperature warmer than that of the air temperature. An Austin tree removal specialist can help you determine if a tree is no longer viable due to sun scalding. Consider that the earlier the onset of the winter temperatures, the earlier one should wrap the tree. Mid to late fall is a good average. The wrap can then be removed in the spring. Additionally, consider that the chances of avoiding damage caused by sunscalding increase if the tree is wrapped during the winter months for several consecutive years.

Young trees need protection from the weight of ice and snow, too. Wrapping branches with burlap may add an extra layer of protection from cold weather conditions. Staking may also provide additional support, including preventing upheaval. 

If salting is something that's routinely done where you live, consider planting a tree away from areas that may be heavily salted, such as near roads, or at least far enough away such that salt cannot be sprayed by passing traffic. Also, avoid planting a tree in a high salt content runoff area. If landscaping options, such as where to plant, are limited and you must plant in an area that is likely to be heavily salted, consider choosing a plant that is tolerant of salt content or adding burlap as a protective barrier. An Austin arborist can help you determine which species are most salt tolerant.

Animals seeking shelter or food during the cold winter months may also pose a threat to a young, newly planted tree. An underfed deer population may resort to feeding off the branches of a tree if other food options are unavailable. They may also cause damage to the tree by rubbing their antlers against it during rut. Either repellent or perhaps even a fence may be solutions for protecting trees against deer. Mesh wraps or other guards may be necessary for smaller animals, such as mice or rabbits, which can also damage young trees in spite of their small size.

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Christmas Lights Gangnam Style (Original)

Christmas Lights Gangnam Style (Original)

How Trees Respond To Damage

Trees have inhabited the earth since prehistoric times, and have adapted to survive in some of the harshest of conditions. Throughout their existence, trees have been the subject of damage brought on by inclement weather as well as birds and other animals. In modern times, trees are faced with an increased threat of damage as a result of human activities. Unlike animals, trees do not have a process of healing damaged tissue, or in other words, trees cannot replace damaged tissue with healthy tissue. Instead they have developed a way to seal off a damaged area to protect against further damage through a process called compartmentalization.

If a tree is on the receiving end of a vehicle accident, for instance, its bark will likely incur some damage from the impact. With the protective boundary of bark compromised, the wood comprising the interior of the tree becomes vulnerable to harmful insects and fungi. Without the ability to create a protective barrier around the damaged area, the tree would be faced with death and decay. Instead, a damaged tree will begin to seal off the wound area in order to protect the rest of the tree. New bark forming around the wound is referred to as callous tissue, and this new protective tissue serves to protect the rest of the tree from damage as well as prevent it from drying out. If you have ever seen a tree with what appears to be an abnormal growth protruding from its trunk, you have probably seen firsthand the result of this natural defense. Being struck by a vehicle is an extreme incident through which a tree can incur damage, though other forces such as birds, squirrels, storms and pruning are more common culprits for tree damage.

Although trees are equipped with an ability to seal off wounded areas, all trees do not survive after damage leaves them susceptible to infestation and decay. It can take a tree several years to fully seal off a wounded area, and further damage may occur before the area is fully covered by the new layer of protective tissue. Many factors contribute to a tree's ability to successfully repair a wound, such as the tree's age, species, extent of damage, and weather conditions. If the wound is compartmentalized successfully without further damage or decay, the tree is likely to survive.

If a tree on your property has incurred damage, it is advised to hire a tree service professional to assess the extent of damage. While trees with minimal damage may repair themselves naturally without intervention, excessively damaged trees may need to be removed so that they do not become a hazard.

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