ALAM SEKITAR

RANJINI THEVI SHANMUGAM

KPLI-KDC/NOV 09/PT (2)

A tree can be defined as perennial woody plant which has many secondary
branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical
dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is varying from 3 m to 6 m.
Some of the tree is reaching several thousand years old and growing to up to 115 m
high. The benefits of trees can be grouped into social, communal, environmental, and
economic categories.

Social Benefits
Serene, peaceful, restful, and tranquil are the feelings that can we have in a
grove of trees. Hospital patients have been shown to recover from surgery more quickly
when their hospital room offered a view of trees. The strong ties between people and
trees are most evident in the resistance of community residents to removing trees to
widen streets. The stature, strength, and endurance of trees give them a cathedral-like
quality.

Communal Benefits
Even though trees may be private property, their size often makes them part of
the community as well. With proper selection and maintenance, trees can enhance and
function on one property without infringing on the rights and privileges of neighbors. City
trees often serve several architectural and engineering functions. They provide privacy,
emphasize views, or screen out objectionable views. They reduce glare and reflection.
They provide background to and soften, complement, or enhance architecture.

Environmental Benefits
Trees alter the environment in which we live by moderating climate, improving air
quality, conserving water, and harboring wildlife. Climate control is obtained by
moderating the effects of sun, wind, and rain. Radiant energy from the sun is absorbed
or deflected by leaves on deciduous trees in the summer and is only filtered by
branches of deciduous trees in winter. In winter, we value the suns radiant energy.

ALAM SEKITAR
RANJINI THEVI SHANMUGAM
KPLI-KDC/NOV 09/PT (2)

Wind speed and direction can be affected by trees. The more compact the
foliage on the tree or group of trees, the greater the influence of the windbreak. Trees
intercept water, store some of it, and reduce storm runoff and the possibility of flooding.
Dew and frost are less common under trees because less radiant energy is released
from the soil in those areas at night.

Air quality can be improved through the use of trees, shrubs, and turf. Leaves
filter the air we breathe by removing dust and other particulates. Leaves absorb carbon
dioxide from the air are used in the plants structure and function.

Economic Benefits
The economic benefits of trees can be both direct and indirect. Direct economic
benefits are usually associated with energy costs. Air-conditioning costs are lower in a
tree-shaded home. Heating costs are reduced when a home has a windbreak. Trees
are a wise investment of funds because landscaped homes are more valuable than
nonlandscaped homes.

ALAM SEKITAR
RANJINI THEVI SHANMUGAM
KPLI-KDC/NOV 09/PT (2)

The indirect economic benefits of trees are even greater. Lowered electricity bills
are paid by customers when power companies are able to use less water in their
cooling towers, build fewer new facilities to meet peak demands, use reduced amounts
of fossil fuel in their furnaces, and use fewer measures to control air pollution.

The causes of the damages for tree can be grouped into construction damages
and storm damages.

Construction Damage
In preparing a building site, soil is often moved in order to level areas which once
were sloped. If trees are left standing in these affected areas, they may have soil added
over their root systems. These changes can cause significant damage and even death.

Bulldozers and other equipment may gouge the bark off of the tree trunk or
buttress roots, and can also damage roots simply by moving over the root system. Such
injuries can be detrimental, not only because a needed part of the tree has been
removed, but also because decay organisms may enter the wounded areas.

Certain trees may be removed from a stand to create an area on which to build
the structure, to decrease the amount of shade, or to give desirable trees more growing
room. When stands of trees are thinned, remaining trees are more exposed to wind,
and may suffer wind damage. The greater the degree of thinning, and the denser the
original stand, the greater the chances for wind damage to the remaining trees.

Storm Damege
With blow-over, the tree is physically pushed over by high winds. Little biological
adjustment is available for a tree to make to hurricanes, down-drafts or tornado winds.
The wind force on the aerial tree portions is too great for the wood structure. Past tree
abuse, poor maintenance, pest problems predispose the tree to storm damage by
weakening the wood architecture.
3

ALAM SEKITAR
RANJINI THEVI SHANMUGAM
KPLI-KDC/NOV 09/PT (2)

Lightning damage is a life-threatening situation. Lightning either move in a

narrow line down the branches, stems and roots or along a wide pathway
encompassing the entire tree cylinder. Lightning directly destroys tree tissues by
electrical disruption and heat. Steam explosions down the stem in a wide or narrow
band show where the electrical current has moved through the tree. Damage caused by
lightning leads to extensive water loss that is also life-threatening. Pests quickly attack a
lightning weakened and damaged tree.

For every problem, there are ways to overcome it. There are a lot of ways to
avoid the damages of tree. We can hire a professional arborist in the early planning
stage of construction. The proper steps can save a lot of trees. The arborist can assess
the trees on the property, determine which are healthy and structurally sound, and
suggest measures to preserve and protect them.

One of the first decisions is determining which trees are to be preserved and
which should be removed. The arborist should advise about which trees are more
sensitive to compaction, grade changes, and root damage. The arborist and builder
should work together in planning the construction. The builder may need to be educated
regarding the value of the trees on the property and the importance of saving them.

Because our ability to repair construction damage to trees is limited, it is vital that
trees be protected from injury. The single most important action can take is to set up
construction fences around all of the trees that are to remain. The fences should be
placed as far out from the trunks of the trees as possible. Instruct construction
personnel to keep the fenced area clear of building materials, waste, and excess soil.
No digging, trenching, or other soil disturbance should be allowed in the fenced area.

ALAM SEKITAR
RANJINI THEVI SHANMUGAM
KPLI-KDC/NOV 09/PT (2)

All of the measures intended to protect the trees must be written into the
construction specifications. The written specifications should detail exactly what can and
cannot be done to and around the trees. Each subcontractor must be made aware of
the barriers, limitations, and specified work zones. It is a good idea to post signs as a
reminder.

Fines and penalties for violations should be built into the specifications. Not too
surprisingly, subcontractors are much more likely to adhere to the tree preservation
clauses if their profit is at stake. The severity of the fines should be proportional to the
potential damage to the trees and should increase for multiple infractions. Careful
planning and communicating with landscape designers and contractors is just as
important as avoiding tree damage during construction.

As a conclusion, we are taking the trees for granted and felling them mercilessly.
This will lead to a treeless environment which can not be even imagined. But the woods
from cut trees also help us to make beautiful furniture and other things required for the
house. The wood is used as a fuel even now in many rural areas. The trees provide us
shade and the breeze will be so cool in the places where there are number trees. Many
people who suffer from chronicle ailments are said to feel better when they were put in a
beautiful tree surrounded areas.

We must remember that the trees are very essential and we must start
growing more trees in our surroundings for the sake of next generation to give them a
beautiful and healthy environment. We should keep in mind that the deforestation will
lead to the extinction of many animals.