Arbor Day is a national holiday that works to celebrate the importance of trees and the vital role they play in the ecosystem. The idea for a day dedicated to planting trees came about from Julius Sterling Morton, a Nebraskan journalist who later became the U.S. Agriculture Secretary under President Grover Cleveland. The first Arbor Day was celebrated on April 10, 1874, in Nebraska and continued to grow and expand across the country, eventually becoming a national holiday in 1885. Most people celebrate by planting trees within their communities (both together and individually) to help promote clean air and expand tree populations. Along with promoting and growing native tree populations, this also helps bring communities together for a common purpose. Trees offer many valuable services within an ecosystem and have been shown to affect the lives of many different organisms. Below are just some of the many services that trees provide.
- Carbon Sequestration
- Forests in general help to hold carbon throughout the ecosystem and have been key contributors in helping to manage air pollution and mitigate climate change by helping regulate the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Carbon sequestration is the ability of an organism to hold and process carbon. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air through photosynthesis and in turn, releases oxygen back into the atmosphere. The carbon is then stored in the tree which helps it survive and grow as well as other plants and organisms in the forest.
- Habitat
- Trees are not only great at providing shade for us, but many animals and organisms use parts of the tree for habitat. Small bugs and insects will make themselves a home between the bark of the tree and the wood. Birds and small mammals (squirrels, chipmunks) look for hollows within the trees to make their nests and utilize the branches to move around comfortably. The understory around the tree provides spatial homes for ground-dwelling animals like snakes.
- Water Filtration/Regulation
- The leafy canopies in forests help to control and manage the rainfall as it comes down to the forest floor. This may not seem like much, but the direct impact of rainfall on the forest floor can have negative impacts on the ecosystem (overturning soil, damaging understory, etc.). The soil then absorbs the rain, acting as a sponge, and helps to filter the water as it travels down the layers. Tree roots also help absorb stormwater and manage runoff by trapping dirt and other debris as the water travels past.
Join in local Arbor Day celebrations/events in your area by visiting the link below