Tree Information
Even though the process of civilization has made man independent of nature and raised him to a higher level, yet he is continually aware of the fundamental influence of nature on generations of mankind.
Plants are a necessary condition of civilization, and of all life on Earth. Without plants, which are capable of’ producing organic material from chemical compounds and radiant energy from sunlight, there could be no life, no animals, not even man, for they provide the basic source of food and nourishment.
The forest provided primitive man with food, fuel and building material, affording him also protection against enemies and the elements. To realize the importance of trees and forests for man, however, there is no need to go so far back into the past. Even our great-grandfathers could say that trees and their wood were man’s companions from birth to death – from wooden cradle to wooden coffin. Man used wood to build houses and make furniture, construct household utensils, tools and vehicles, and shape primitive weapons. Until almost the eighteenth century wood was also the only source of heat and energy.
The trunks of most broad-leaved trees divide at a certain height into a few, thick, upward or outward- growing branches which divide further to form the crown which may be broadly oval to round. This shape provides the leaves with the greatest amount of light and air, thus assuring the best conditions for the nourishment of the tree. The tree is anchored in the ground by means of roots which also serve to supply it with water and mineral nutriments.
The value of forests and trees, ‘however, does not rest only in the timber they yield. Man is beginning to realize with ever- growing awareness the other functions of the forest And its vegetation. Today we know how important trees and forests are in water management and in preventing soil erosion And the importance of parks and woodlands for man’s health and recreation cannot be over-stressed.
Under normal conditions trees are the strongest and fittest members of the plant realm.
