Trees are mostly tall plants that beautify the environments and provide. Trees especially ones with green leaves are plant that takes up carbon dioxide and transform it to oxygen. A study suggested that spending more time among trees and green places reduces stress as a result fresh air emanating from it and the cool aura they create. Trees also serve as wind breakers that safeguard Environment against natural disaster like desert encroachment and drought.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) states that scientist estimates that a third of the world's arable land has being lost to deforestation since 1960. Roots of cash crops like coffee and palm oil cannot hold unto the soil thereby causing further soil erosion.

Cutting of trees can cause deforestation and have negative impact on environment and will lead to loss of habitat for animal species which can harm ecosystems. According to National geographic seventy percent (70%) of land animals and plant live in forests and many cannot survive the deforestation that destroys their homes.

It has been estimated that 11 million hectares of forest are harvested in the world per year. In India alone, 1 million hectare of forest is being cut down. The pressure of urbanization, the growing population and the craving for the rapid developments have deprived us a green cover.

Trees creates cold and humid atmosphere required for rain, because when it rains, trees retain water and do not allow it to pass over soil which avoids flood. Thirdly they provide food to all living things. When we cut down trees we are taking a home away from birds, reptiles and animals and loosen the ground which mostly causes landslides.

Deforestation result in soil, water and air erosion, which result in the loss of an estimated amount of more than 16,400 corer trees each year. Deforestation adversely affects the productivity of the land. It causes severe ill-effect, such as loss of soil fertility, air pollution, extinction of species, global warming, spread of deserts, depletion in water resource, damage on ozone layer etc.

Today, many urban areas are faced with excessive population, along with the pressure of unplanned economic development, industrialization, and vehicular emissions. This has led to considerable rise in urban pollution, affecting air, water, and land. Air pollution has increased rapidly in many cities and metropolises, especially due to vehicular traffic and industrial emissions.

However, there are Harmful Environmental Practices that people adopt which damages trees and other natural landscape, thereby leaving the environment bare and prone to all sort of natural disasters.
Poor environmental sanitation, use of harmful chemicals by farmers and industrial waste can damage trees and also the environment. Other harmful environmental practices include cutting down of trees without planting new ones, mining and bush burning etc. All these are activities that damage trees may lead to many natural disasters; as such awareness should be created among individuals to enlighten them on the importance of trees and the dangers of destroying them.

By Aminci Samuel
From the Department of Mass Communication,
300 level Student,
University of Maiduguri.