That trees are essential for a healthy living environment is clear to many. But why is that so? What functions do trees fulfill, and how do they help solve today’s environmental challenges? These are questions most people find harder to answer.
Over the past months, we’ve published a series of blogs explaining the different services trees provide and the benefits they bring to their surroundings. We have now bundled these articles into the whitepaper “Trees and Their Ecosystem Services.” You can download it for free alongside this page.
In the whitepaper, we take a closer look at the following themes:
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The added value of trees
The four main groups of ecosystem services, the impact of greenery in cities on living environments, and human well-being.
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Water management with trees
The water cycle in a nutshell, how trees capture and retain water, the role of stemflow and throughfall, and what this means for trees in cities.
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Cooling effects of trees
The urban heat island effect and urban sustainability, how trees cool cities through shade, evapotranspiration, air circulation, and reducing energy use.
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Improved air quality with trees
The purifying role of trees: absorbing, filtering, releasing oxygen, and breaking down pollutants.
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Trees boost biodiversity
Time to restore biodiversity, species richness, the role of trees in maintaining and enhancing biodiversity, and the importance of healthy soil.
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Trees as carbon storage
How trees store CO₂, the factors involved, the role of root systems, the importance of vegetation and age, and which trees capture the most CO₂.
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Trees promote well-being
Health in green outdoor spaces: mechanisms of harm reduction, recovery, encouraging healthy behavior, and preventing damage.
Download the whitepaper and learn more about how the ecosystem services of trees positively affect both people and nature—and how they contribute to a livable and future-proof environment.
