29 Fun Tree facts to increase your general knowledge! (Printable)

Forests are much more than just a grove of trees. They are intricate living worlds with linked layers of life that span vast, diverse areas.

They’re also nature’s great providers, pulling carbon from the atmosphere and sequestering it through photosynthesis, filtering and absorbing air pollutants, releasing clean oxygen for us to breathe, and providing habitat.

And food for wildlife, stabilizing soils, growing food and medicine, protecting us from harmful UV rays, acting as natural air conditioners, securing our freshwater supplies, and many more!

So, we all have a profound, natural affinity for trees. Here are Amazing Tree facts that you need to know!

Facts About Trees:

About 60% of cancer drugs come from natural sources:

That’s right: rainforest plants are employed in some of the planet’s most vital, life-saving medicines. The main sources of these successful compounds are microbes and plants from the terrestrial and marine environments. Discoveries are made yearly, but many depend on access to healthy woods.

Tropical plants provide 1/4 of all medicines and 2/3 of cancer drugs:

These medicinal plants are worth a whopping US8 billion each year in addition to saving people’s lives. Thus, if you’re wondering, “Why are rainforests important?” Here’s one reason – and it’s only the tip of the iceberg!

One tree equals two central air conditioners:

Trees help regulate air temperature, reducing the demand for carbon emissions from heating and cooling.

When trees are strategically planted, air conditioning costs can be reduced by 30%, and heating costs can be reduced by 50%.

Trees redistribute up to 95% of the water they absorb:

Trees absorb rainfall into their roots and leaves when it rains, minimizing erosion and flooding.

Afterward, through transpiration, their leaves release them back into the air, generating a significant cooling impact that affects local microclimates.

Forests cover 31% of the world’s land area:

The entire forest area is 4.06 billion hectares, with almost half remaining largely intact. Around one-third of that is primary forest, or forests with no signs of human activity and natural processes that have not been considerably altered.

Tropical rainforests cover 3% of Earth but house over half its terrestrial animals:

It is estimated that one hectare (2.47 acres) can support around 750 different types of trees and 1500 different species of higher plants.

In 2019, a football pitch in a rainforest was lost every 6 seconds:

3.8 million hectares of total loss occurred within the wet tropical primary forest, areas of mature rainforest that are highly significant for biodiversity and carbon storage.

It takes 7 to 8 trees per year to provide oxygen for one person:

Trees produce oxygen by using solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose. When they break down some of the glucose, they use some of the resulting oxygen to power their metabolisms.

Nonetheless, on average, they make more oxygen than they use.

Adding one tree to a pasture can increase bird species from zero to 80:

Biodiversity will increase gradually as others join one tree to form a stand.

When the stand reaches 100% forest cover, endangered and threatened species, such as large predators and deep forest birds, begin to appear, increasing species richness.

The number of trees covering the earth has increased:

Even though the earth lost more than 1.33 million square kilometers between 1982 and 2016, we gained around 3.5 million square kilometers of tree cover elsewhere (mostly in the northern hemisphere). 

These new trees, many of which are being grown in tree plantations, are not a perfect substitute for diverse and rich primary forests.

The global forest area is 4.06 billion hectares, about 5,000m² per person:

Yet, forests are not distributed evenly over the world. More than half of the world’s forests are found in only five nations (the Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, the United States of America, and China), and two-thirds (66%) are found in just ten.

The global primary forest area has decreased by 80 million hectares since 1990:

Primary forests are old-growth forests abounding biodiversity, particularly in the tropics and savannahs, where deforestation is particularly severe. When these regions are cleansed, all of that is lost.

Agricultural growth causes deforestation, damage, and loss of biodiversity

Between 2000 and 2010, large-scale commercial agriculture (mainly cattle ranching and soybean and oil palm production) accounted for 40% of tropical deforestation, with local subsistence agriculture accounting for the remaining 33%.

Deforestation set to hit 10 million hectares each year from 2015 to 2020:

This is a decrease from the previous year’s total of 16 million hectares. While this is encouraging, we are nevertheless losing forests at an alarming rate.

We can’t afford to keep losing them with everyday evidence that climate change is increasing worldwide.

There are about 60,000 tree species on the earth:

Most tree species are angiosperms, containing seeds and wide leaves that change color and die every fall.

They are deciduous and include oaks, maples, and dogwood. Gymnosperm trees, or those having unenclosed seeds, include evergreen species such as pine, cedar, spruce, and fir.

45% of all tree species are members of just ten families:

Leguminosae, Rubiaceae, Myrtaceae, Lauraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Melasomataceae, Annonaceae, Arecaceae, and Sapotaceae are the families in order of magnitude.

Single-country endemics make up nearly 58% of all tree species:

This means they only exist in one location. Endangered tree species are especially vulnerable to deforestation because if their habitat is eliminated, they will become extinct.

Fact on the colonization of land by plants:

The colonization of land by plants between 425 and 600 million years ago and the eventual spread of forests aided in creating a breathable atmosphere.

With enough oxygen to support humans and the other oxygen-dependent life forms that share the planet.

Forest resources support 1.6 billion people; 1.2 billion rely on farm trees:

Trees provide a crucial safety net for families living in poverty if crops fail or diseases develop, prohibiting heads of households from working.

Around 880 million people collect fuel wood or produce charcoal:

Furthermore, in many poor nations, people rely on fuel wood to supply up to 90% of their energy needs. As you might expect, this contributes to deforestation, so involving local communities in reforestation programs is critical.

Fact on forests managed by Indigenous people:

Indigenous peoples manage areas (approximately 28% of the world’s land surface) that include some of the most ecologically intact forests and many biodiversity hotspots.

This is due to indigenous peoples’ adherence to traditional ways of living and reliance on ancestral knowledge to tread lightly on the natural world.

Fact on the worldwide forested area:

Worldwide, 18% of forest area, or more than 700 million hectares, falls within legally established protected areas such as national parks, conservation areas, and game reserves. 

According to a recent study, people visit these regions an estimated 8 billion times per year, more than the global population.

It takes 460 trees to absorb a car’s yearly CO2 emissions:

Throughout the first 20 years of their lives, trees can absorb an average of 22 pounds of CO2.

A typical passenger vehicle emits around 4.6 metric tons of CO2 annually; therefore, vehicle owners must plant 460 trees to counteract the average transportation impact.

South America has 31% of its forests protected, while Europe has only 5%:

This is partly due to historically extensive settlement in Europe, and associated land uses such as logging and intensive agriculture. Europe has a smaller total land area as well.

Tropical tree loss causes more yearly emissions than 85 million cars:

If tropical deforestation were a country, it would be third in the world regarding CO2-equivalent emissions, trailing only China and the United States of America.

In fact, due to deforestation, tropical forests are net carbon emitters.

Oxygen provided by Amazon forest cover:

Amazon provides 20% of the oxygen produced on land through photosynthesis. On the other hand, phytoplankton produces a staggering 70% of the earth’s oxygen.

As a result, it may be more appropriate to refer to the Amazon as Earth’s air conditioner rather than its lungs.

Right now, forests absorb 30% of all CO2 emissions:

Most of this carbon is found in forest soils, supported by networks of symbiotic roots, fungi, and microorganisms. As a result, wood is commonly regarded as a carbon sink.

Jadav Molai Payeng:

Jadav “Molai” Payeng, a 47-year-old Indian, began planting trees on a barren sandbar when he was 16 years old. Today, he lives in his own 1360-acre forest, which is now home to tigers, elephants, and other exotic species.

Rainbow-colored eucalyptus:

In Hawaii, there are Eucalyptus trees with naturally rainbow-colored bark.

Thus, we learned some very interesting facts about trees in this article. To know about more such facts, follow this website.

Key Takeaways: