Interesting Facts About Trees

Trees are the longest living organisms on the planet and one of the earth's greatest natural resources. They keep our air supply clean, reduce noise pollution, improve water quality, help prevent erosion, provide food and building materials, create shade, and help make our landscapes look beautiful. Here are some more thought-provoking facts and figures about our oldest citizens and living treasures...trees!

Well-maintained trees and shrubs can increase property value by up to 14%. Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30% A mature tree removes almost 70 times more pollution than a newly planted tree. A healthy tree can have a value of up to $10,000. The shade and wind buffering provided by trees reduces annual heating and cooling costs

by 2.1 billion dollars. Each average-sized tree provides an estimated $7 savings in annual environmental benefits,

including energy conservation and reduced pollution. A single tree produces approximately 260 pounds of oxygen per year. That means two

mature trees can supply enough oxygen annually to support a family of four! Water originating in our national forests provide drinking water for over 3400 communities,

and approximately 60 million individuals. One tree can absorb as much carbon in a year as a car produces while driving 26,000 miles. Over the course its life, a single tree can absorb one ton of carbon dioxide. An average American uses about 750 pounds of paper every year, and 95% of homes are

built using wood. That means each person uses the equivalent of one 100 foot tall, 16 inch diameter, tree every year for their paper and wood product needs.

About one third of the United States of America is covered by forests. According to the last forest inventory, there are almost 247 billion trees over 1 inch in

diameter in the U.S. The average tree in an urban/city area has a life expectancy of only 8 years.

The tallest tree in the country is a Coast Redwood growing in northern California's Redwood National Park. It is 369 feet tall and over 2000 years old!

- See more at: http://www.savatree.com/tree-facts.html#sthash.JnLLrKJ9.dpuf

The luminosity of the Sun is equivalent to the luminosity of 4 trillion trillion light bulbs of 100 watt.

The energy being emitted from 1 square centimeter of the Sun's surface is enough to burn 64 light bulbs of 100 watt.

The amount of the Sun's energy reaching the Earth's atmosphere (known as the Solar constant) is equivalent to 1.37 kw of electricity per square meter.

The amount of energy reaching the earth's surface from Sun is 6,000 times the amount of energy used by all human beings worldwide.

5 facts about rain you probably didn’t know:

1: Rain can fall up to 22 miles per hour.

2: One droplet of rain stays in Earth’s atmosphere for about 10 days.

3: Rain isn’t a teardrop shape,  it’s actually ovular.

4: Every second, 16 million tons of water is evaporated from the surface of Earth.

5: Every second, 16 million tons of water precipitates back onto Earths’ surface (Water Cycle!).

Interesting Air Facts A person breathes about 16 kg of air everyday. As a comparison, we consume 0.7 kg of

food and 1.4 kg to 2.3 kg of water per day. Needless to say, the quality of the air around us does have a

significant impact on our health. Air pollution from natural sources has been a feature of the earth for millions

of years. Volcanic smoke and dust, sand and dust storms and wild fires are all sources of natural air pollution.

The idea that polluted air can be harmful to man humans dates back to the Middle Ages. Direct evidence of

bad effects from polluted air began to accumulate after the first use of coal around the beginning of the

fourteenth century. One of the worst air pollution disasters occurred in London in December of 1952. Five days

of stagnant and poor-quality air brought about by high pressure weather systems caused between 3,500 and

4,000 deaths. In our day-to-day lives each of us adds to air pollution. Nearly everything we do and every

product we buy creates some pollution. We all bear some responsibility for reducing air pollution. In spite of the

many improvements to the engines of vehicles, they are still the major contributor to air pollution in Alberta.

Exhaust fumes contain CO2 ,SO2 ,NOx and particulate matter. A single engine gives off relatively small

amounts of pollutants. However, there are so many vehicles that the small amounts add up to a significant

pollution problem. The warming of the atmosphere by heat reflected back to Earth by gases in the upper

atmosphere is called the greenhouse effect. Many scientists have linked the increase in atmospheric carbon

dioxide with the rise in the earth’s temperature over the last century. Large amounts of CO2 have been

released into the atmosphere by burning coal, oil, gas and wood. This adds to the greenhouse gases in the

atmosphere. A very small rise in the air temperature may have a very great change on Earth. A rise of 3oC in

average annual temperature would make the grain growing areas of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan

unsuitable for agriculture. Industries spend several billion dollars each year on pollution control and abatement.

In an effort to control the concentration of air pollutants at ground level, some companies have built smoke

stacks up to 300 metres high. Air pollution causes rubber tires on automobiles to crack and become porous. It

is estimated that a fleet of 500 SST jets over a period of years could increase the water content of the

stratosphere by 50 to 100%, which could result in a rise of average temperature on the surface of the Earth by

0.2o C and could cause destruction of the stratospheric ozone. - See more at:

http://www.fortair.org/resources/games-puzzles-and-word-searches/interesting-air-facts/

#sthash.PRxGWSco.dpuf

We can do a lot more to contribute to human happiness by following many little steps. Riding a cycle, using public transport, burning less coal on

barbeque are like small steps to create a healthy prosperous environment for the future generations and ourselves. Imagine our little acts can do

so much like saving thousands of people who die due to cancer, heart attack or other air borne diseases. The figures are definitely striking. So let

your action do some act of heroism and make this world a pollution- free, healthier safer world to live in. - See more at: http://www.conserve-

energy-future.com/various-air-pollution-facts.php#sthash.uqKjeHf6.dpuf

Wind And Its Importance

Definition:The air that moves parallel to any part of the earth surface is called wind or The air moving horizontally on the surface of the earth is known as wind.

Air Current:Vertically or nearly vertical movements of air resulting from convection ,turbulence or any other cause is known as air current.

Importance or Role or Effects Of Wind In Agriculture:

1. Wind increases the transpiration and intake of CO22. The turbulence created by wind increase CO2 supply and the increase in photosynthesis.3. When wind is hot, desiccation of the plants takes place, because humid air in the inter cellular places is replaced by dry air.4. The hot and dry wind makes the cells expanding and early maturity, it results in the dwarfing of plants.5. Under the influence of strong wind the shoots are pressurized and get deformed.6. Strong winds produces loading of crops.7. The coastal area affected by strong wind bring salt and make the soil unsuitable for growing plants.8. Strong winds affect the plants life both mechanically and physiologically.

"Clouds move water vapour around the planet and water vapour is a

more important greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide," said Professor

Browning.

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/importance-of-clouds/109544.articleAccording to NREL, 1MW of wind energy can offset approximately 2,600 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). - See more at: http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/various-wind-energy-facts.php#sthash.Q2IXTZDn.dpuf

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/135641main_clouds_trifold21.pdf

High clouds are usually made up of ice crystals, and have a base somewhere between 5,500 and 14,000 meters. - See more at: http://13-fun-facts.blogspot.com/2011/05/13-fun-facts-about-clouds.html#sthash.7XqzaGhK.dpufClouds move when they are pushed by the wind. The high Cirrus clouds can move as fast as 100 miles per hour. Thunderstorm clouds (Cumulonimbus)

usually travel around 40 miles per hour.

FACTS AND TRIVIA

-Trees are the longest living organisim on earth.-Trees supply us with oxygen and take carbon dioxide-Plants and trees make their food through photosynthesis. This is the process by which plants take use sunlight, carbon-dioxide and water to make food.-A single tree produces approximately 260 pounds of oxeygen per a year. This means that 2 mature trees can suply enough oxygen each year to supply a family of 4.-One acre of trees removes up to 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide each year.-Shade trees can make buildings up to 20 degrees cooler in the summer.-Trees lower air temperature by evaporating water in their leaves.-Tree roots stabilize soil and prevent erosion.-Trees improve water quality by slowing and filtering rain water, as well as protecting aquifers and watersheds.-Did you know that bamboo is actually a grass?The leaves of trees are eaten by many insects and animals such as giraffes. Therefore trees play an important role in the eco-system.

-Trees provide nest sites for birds. The long branches provide good hiding places from predators.-Trees are producers of nice fruits such apples, bananas e.t.c -