Trees are marvelous! We love their looks, their smells, their blooms, and their autumn leaves. We hug them, and watch as squirrels frolic in their branches. We enjoy their shade and love the sounds of the breeze through the leaves.
And we know that trees are good for the environment. But how much do they actually clean the air around you?
The answer to this depends upon a few factors. How close are the nearest trees to where you are? How healthy is the tree? How old is it? And, of course, what type of tree is it?
Air Cleaning, in Numbers
Dr. Anne Marie Helmenstine published an article with a few handy calculations for us:
- A leafy, mature tree makes as much oxygen as ten humans inhale in a full calendar year;
- A leafy, mature tree takes about 48 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air each year;
- An average tree makes almost 260 pounds of oxygen each year;
- One hectare of trees (full canopy forest) offsets the energy use of 19 humans each year;
- An especially large tree – one that is 100 feet tall, with a base diameter of 18 inches or more — will produce as much as 6,000 pounds of oxygen in a year.
How Do You Measure Air Quality Improvements by Trees?
Dr. Helmenstine notes that there are three different ways to look at measuring oxygen production by trees:
- Just looking at photosynthesis, which only happens during daylight hours;
- Net oxygen production, meaning the amount made in photosynthesis minus the amount the tree uses (it does use some of its own oxygen);
- Net oxygen production just in terms of the oxygen that would be available for humans to breathe.
Thanks, Trees!
No matter which metric you use, there’s no question that trees are helping to improve the air quality on our planet, By capturing and sequestering atmospheric carbon, lowering ground-level air temperatures under their canopy, or generating fresh oxygen, we have a lot to thank trees for. If you’re lucky enough to have some of these oxygen-producing carbon capture machines in your backyard, make sure you’re taking great care of them! Give us a call here at Tree Images to help you look after your trees, whether through pruning, cabling and bracing, mulching or fertilizing your trees. We’re your local, Cincinnati expert tree service company, and we want to help your trees live their best lives so they can continue to help us live ours!
