Why trees are important
Chris Dalzell shares his experience of Singapore and Thailand and has a challenge for each South African household
Large trees:
Trichilia dregeana (forest mahogany) 10-35m tall.
Ekebergia capensis (Cape ash) 10-35m tall.
Ficus lutea (giant-leaved fig) 10-25m tall.
Celtis Africana (white stinkwood) 30m tall.
Albizia adianthifolia (flat-crown) 10-25m tall.
Harpephyllum caffrum (wild plum) 10-20m tall.
Medium-sized tree: Apodytes dimidiata Bridelia micrantha Schotia brachypetala Calodendrum capense Millettia grandis
Small trees:
Craibia zimmermannii Vepris lanceolata Heteropyxis natalensis Xylotheca kraussiana Erythrina humeana Greyia sutherlandii Gardenia thunbergia Rothmannia globosa
I HAVE just returned from a twoweek garden tour of Singapore and Thailand and am always amazed at how green Singapore is and how Thailand is doing its best to green its cities, especially large cities like Bangkok.
Singapore is not called a “City in a Garden” for no reason. I have never seen a city or country that has invested so richly in its green spaces and provided such incredible open space systems for its people. Millions of trees, shrubs and groundcovers have been planted in open spaces providing beauty for its citizens and visitors, and places for birds, butterflies and other creatures to move between these plant corridors.
Durban did this in the early ’90s by creating green corridors for birds and monkeys to move freely in the inner city. This was called D’MOSS (Durban Metropolitan Open Space System).
The Kloof Project, made up of volunteers who maintain all the green spaces within the precinct, last year planted more than 500 trees along the railway line which runs through the suburb. If you get a chance, take a drive along this corridor and see how these trees have grown in less than a year.
So, what are the important facts about trees and how do they improve our environment?
With the population explosion over the past 40 years, the pressure on the environment to provide for food and housing for the masses is now at a critical stage. Just six months ago, the rainforests of South America burned out of control with fires set by people wanting to farm the land with cattle and crops. These rainforests enable us to breathe fresh air every day. Remove them, and we will not have a future on this planet.
More than 350 million of the poorest people depend on forests for all their basic needs, and more than 2 billion people worldwide rely on forests for cooking and wood for fuel, yet 20% of all tree species are threatened with extinction.
In Southern Africa we have more than 1 700 tree species that provide food and homes for many animal and bird species. Sadly, many of our trees and natural habitats are being lost for a number of reasons: rapid urbanisation, the draining of wetlands for housing and agriculture, large-scale agriculture such as maize, sugar cane and cotton, gum and pine plantations, mining, invasive alien plants and the medicinal plant industry, just to name a few.
Here are a few reasons why we should all try to plant at least one tree in our lifetime:
Trees combat climate change: Excess CO2 or carbon dioxide is absorbed by the tree, removing and storing the carbon while releasing oxygen back into the air. An excess of greenhouse gases such as CO2 is contributing to climate change. Remove the trees and we remove this green lung. Trees clean the air: Trees absorb odours and pollutant gases such as sulphur dioxide and filter particulates out of the air by trapping them in their leaves and bark.
¡ Trees provide oxygen: one hectare of trees provides enough oxygen for 30 people.
I encourage every household, no matter whether you live in a house or in a complex, to plant at least one tree in your lifetime. Try to plant trees that are indigenous and that are endemic to your area. In other words, don’t plant a tree that only grows in Cape Town rather than a tree that is found in your region. Trees cool the streets and inner cities: Can you imagine a city without trees? Singapore is an example of how trees have kept the city cool even throughout all the development that has taken place in the past 50 years. These trees provide shade, remove heat and release water vapour into the air through their leaves. Besides, it’s so much cooler under a tree. Trees conserve energy: Plant trees around your home and you can reduce the need for air conditioning by 50%. By reducing the need to cool our houses we also reduce the amount of CO2 and other pollution emissions given off by air conditioners. Trees save water and prevent water pollution: Shade from trees reduces water loss from lawns. Each tree transpires, thus increasing water moisture. Trees prevent erosion by breaking down rainfall by allowing the water to flow down the trunk and into the soil a lot slower. In new developments rainfall washes away all the topsoil that had taken centuries to develop. Make sure you allow the leaves that fall from the trees to form a mulch under the trees which then acts as a sponge that filters this natural water flow and refills the underground water reserves. Trees provide food and homes for humans and animals. They reduce the amount of UV sun rays that cause skin cancer. Walking in shade reduces the risk of getting skin cancer by 50%. Plant fruit trees that provide food for humans, insects, animals and birds.
Trees beautify suburbs:
They are used to block out ugly concrete walls, buildings and parking lots. They block out the sound of vehicles from streets and freeways, and create a green canopy along roadways which absorbs dust and wind and reduces glare from the sun. Trees improve real estate: The beauty of a well-landscaped property and its surrounding streets and neighbourhood raises the price of property values by as much as 15%. There is nothing more pleasing than driving through a well-maintained neighbourhood such as Kloof to appreciate how important trees are to enjoy the drive going to and from work.
Happy gardening.
If you have any questions, please email: cgmdalzell@gmail.com or check out my website: www.chrisdalzellinternational. com