Page 10 - Buildings That Breathe: Greening the World’s Cities
P. 10
Urban trees provide shade and can also capture air and water pollution .
WHY TREES?
Trees provide our world with countless benefits. They provide habitats,
or homes, for many organisms, from the tiniest ant to frogs, birds,
and mammals. They provide fruits, syrup, nuts, medicines, and much
more for wildlife and humans. They also provide humans with wood,
rubber, paper, and other substances used to make buildings and
household products. Tree roots anchor the soil from erosion, keeping
it from washing away in floods or blowing away in the wind. Trees
also release oxygen, a gas that animals need to survive. Their canopies
(spreading branches) lower temperatures and supply shade, reducing
the temperature of urban heat islands. The Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations says that trees in urban areas can
cool the air by between 3.6°F and 14.4°F (2°C and 8°C).
Because trees absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen, people compare
them to human lungs (which take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide).
10 Buildings That Breathe
