Deforestation, which is the indiscriminate destruction of trees to make room for agriculture or urban development, is a major contributor to climate change because it results in the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Government and environmental organizations around the world have worked for decades to reduce deforestation through market-based incentives and more stringent regulations, as well as to encourage planting new trees in significant numbers.
However, this does not mean that every tree should remain standing no matter what. There is a difference between widespread, indiscriminate deforestation and the measured, well-calculated, strategic removal of trees in targeted areas. When tree removal is carried out in this fashion, you can actually see the benefits of cutting down trees.
1. Reducing Competition for Resources
In theory, dense, thick forests are assets to a nation that contains them. However, it is possible for trees to grow too dense, too thick, and too crowded. The resources that the trees need to grow, specifically sunlight and water, are limited. When the number of trees increases to the point that the available resources are not sufficient to sustain them all, the trees start competing with one another for resources. As a result, some of them become physically distressed.
Removing the trees that are unhealthy frees up more resources for the others, giving them a chance to grow healthier and stronger. Trees that are strong and healthy are better able to absorb carbon dioxide that holds heat close to the earth and contributes to global warming.
2. Improving Overall Forest Health
Trees that are distressed due to overcrowding are more susceptible to disease and insect infestation. These conditions can then spread to other, healthy trees nearby, which are already under some stress due to the competition for resources. In many cases, it is not possible to rehabilitate trees that are diseased or infested. However, removing these trees improves the overall health of the forest by helping to protect those that are healthy. This has the effect of improving habitats for wild animals, as trees that are healthy are likely to live longer.
3. Contributing to Global Cooling
Generally speaking, trees absorb carbon dioxide, which reduces greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and helps combat global warming. That is why widespread, indiscriminate deforestation has had such a devastating effect on climate change. However, in snowy regions at high elevations, trees do not absorb carbon dioxide as efficiently as others because the conditions cause them to grow at a slow pace. Because of something called the albedo effect, removing some of these trees may do more to reverse climate change than leaving them standing would be.
These trees are darker in colour than the snow that surrounds them. Dark-coloured surfaces absorb heat from the sun and retain it, increasing the temperature of the surrounding air. This is called the albedo effect. The flip side is that light-coloured surfaces, such as snow cover on the ground, reflect heat away so it cannot be absorbed. Because the snow is cold, it helps to decrease the temperature of the air around it. Therefore, targeting areas in which the trees are not absorbing enough carbon dioxide due to cold temperatures and high elevations and removing them in a considered and systematic manner may actually help to reduce the temperature of the atmosphere by allowing open areas of snow to reflect the heat rather than allowing dark-coloured trees to absorb it because of the albedo effect.
Tree Removal and Pruning Service in Cambridge
There are other reasons why it might be necessary to remove a tree around your home. However, if you have concerns about the environment, Martin’s Tree Service can tell you whether pruning would be a viable alternative.If you are asking yourself, “Where can I find tree pruning service near me?” the answer is Martin’s Tree Service, serving Cambridge and the surrounding areas.
Steve Martin
