The buildup of about 40 heat-trapping gases is created mostly by human activities. Heat buildup threatens to raise global temperatures to levels unprecedented in human history. About half of the greenhouse effect is caused by CO 2 . Trees act as a carbon sink by removing the carbon from CO 2 and storing it as cellulose in the trunk while releasing the oxygen back into the air. A healthy tree stores about 13 pounds of carbon annually - or 2.6 tons per acre each year.
Trees also reduce the green-house effect by shading our homes and office buildings.
This reduces air conditioning needs up to 30 percent, thereby reducing the amount of fossil fuels burned to produce electricity. This combination of CO 2 removal from the atmosphere, carbon storage in wood, and the cooling effect makes trees a very efficient tool in fighting the greenhouse effect. Their roots increase soil permeability. Reduced soil erosion and sedimentation of streams. Increased ground water recharge that is significantly reduced by paving Lesser amounts of chemicals.