Tree Facts and Statistics
I have decided to take my initial mind map of different topics surrounding trees and chose specitics topics to research and gather more detail on, so I could possibly include these in my infographic.
I have decided to split my infograohc into 4 section to make it easier to read and follow along with, those 4 sections are-
The intro section
A Deforestation section
A Rainforest section
A Reforestaion section
Articles research
I began my topic research by reading articles on the subject and selecting information that I find interesting and that I think would be important facts and statistics to include into my infographic. I have linked all of the articles and websites that I have read below and all of the sources below are reliable and well know tree organisations, so the static’s are trustworthy and relabel to go off.
Websites sources for research
- onetreeplanted.org
- arborday.org
- rainforests.mongabay.com
- wri.org
- journals.sagepub.com
- treehugger.com
- earthday.org
- tentree.com
- ucsusa.org
- rainforestconcern.org
Chosen facts/stats-
A lot of these articles and websites had hundreds of quick facts and stats on trees and I want to include shorter facts and statistics within my infographic as I enjoy readying them and I think that they will look good in an infographic. I have chosen a few facts and statistics that I will include into my infographic and I have reduced the about of information to its easier and more enjoyable to read.
- 46% of the worlds forests have been destroyed
- Every 1.2 seconds man destroys an area of forest the size of football fields
- 1.6 billion people rely of forests for their livelihoods
- There are over 60,000 tree species on this planet
- A single tree produces approx 260 pounds of oxygen per year
- 1 tree can provide a day’s supply of oxygen for 4 people
- 80,000 acres of forest disappear from the earth every day
- 48 lbs of C02 is sequestered by a mature tree every year
- Today, trees absorb one-third of global emissions every year.
- 50 percent of all plants and animals on Earth live in rainforests.
- Deforestation is in fact considered the second major driver of climate change
Intro
Why do we need trees ?
I created a Miro board highlighting 5 reasons why we need trees, see below.
Current number of trees today-
3.04 trillion trees exist on the planet today
More benefits
They can help:
- Prevent flooding
- Reduce city temperature
- Reduce pollution
- Keep soil nutrient-rich
Deforestation
Number of trees cut down a year
-15 Billion trees are cut down every year (on average)
Countries with the worst deforestation
How does deforetraion effect global warming / climate change?
Deforestation is a primary contributor to climate change. When trees are cut down and burned or allowed to rot, their stored carbon is released into the air as carbon dioxide. This is how deforestation and forest degradation contribute to global warming.
Rainforests
Rainforests play a key role in keeping our planet healthy, they do this by absorbing carbon dioxide and realising oxygen into the air. Tropical rainforests also contain half of the Earth’s plants and wildlife including many rare species that have yet to be discovered! They actually contain over 30 million species of plants and animals. However half of the world’s rainforest has been destroyed in just one century. They also act as a pharmacy, that more than 25% of our modern medicines originate from tropical forest plants.
Climate regulation
Rainforests store water like a sponge. It is believed that the Amazonian forests alone store over half of the Earth’s rainwater!
How do they do this?
Rainforest trees draw water from the forest floor and release it back in to the atmosphere in the form of swirling mists and clouds. Without rainforests continually recycling huge quantities of water, e.g. feeding the rivers, there would me a lot more droughts in the world.
Reforestation
Why is planting trees so important?
The earth needs trees for many reasons and fighting climate change is a big one. They help stop climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the air, storing carbon in the trees and soil, and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.
How many trees a year are re-planted?
– Around 5 billion trees are re-planted across the world.
How do trees help global warming / climate change ?
They help stop climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the air, storing carbon in the trees and soil, and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.
Countries with the most trees
- Russian federation- 642 billion
- Canada- 318 billion
- Brazil- 302 billion
- USA- 228 billion
- China- 140 billion
Reflection
I thoroughly enjoyed this research, I think that this topic is so interesting and I think that it is so important too. I have learn a lot about trees and how vital they actually are to this planet and for us as humans! I think that this research has really opened my eyes to this very pressing issue that the world is facing and it affects us all. I am excited to bring this research and my future illustrations together and create my infographic.
What is next?
I will choose from the above content and filter this into my infographic, as I won’t be able to fit all of these facts into the one infographic. I will also begin the digital illustrations surrounding the above topics and design options that are suitable and appropriate for the information I am going to include. I will also begin to design the data visuals that I will add into my infographic, e.g. pie charts and bar graphs that will be based on the information that I have included above.