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Benefits
of Greenspaces
Provide
Oxygen
Plants
provide Oxygen. In their process of photosynthesis, they take in Carbon
Dioxide, using it to make the sugars they need to supply them with energy.
In turn, they release Oxygen as a by-product of that process. This is
how we get the Oxygen that we breathe. The more greenspaces we have,
the more Oxygen is produced for our benefit!
Filter
Air Pollution
As
the processes of photosynthesis are carried out, other chemical substances
are absorbed into the leaves of plants. The plants have a mechanism
for breaking down these chemicals to use the beneficial ones for their
processes. This helps to filter pollutants from the air that we breathe.
Filter
Water Pollution
Plants
are remarkable in their ability to absorb water, which they use in the
creation of sugars through the process of photosynthesis. As they absorb
this water, it often contains contaminants and products harmful to the
environment that are created by man. Fortunately, plants are able to
break down many of these pollutants, and use the chemicals they need
and release the other elements back into the environment in a safe form.
Prevent
Soil Erosion
The
root structures of plants hold together the topsoil and prevent it from
eroding. Scientists everywhere have discovered the benefits of using
plants to prevent erosion. Perfect examples include plantings along
levees and streambeds. The root structures help to hold onto the soil,
not only preventing erosion of the stream banks, but helping to clean
pollutants from the water as well! One of the reasons that delta regions
are so rich and fertile is because they contain all the soils and minerals
that have been eroded form the streams and rivers along the way. Plants
help to keep our
Greatly
Reduce Flooding
Contrary
to popular belief, plants actually help to reduce flooding. Many people
believe that plant materials only slow down the flow of streams and
rivers, increasing the likelihood of flooding. Hydrology studies have
shown that living plants usually absorb more water than they allow to
back up. The slowing effect that does occur helps to prevent worse flooding
further downstream, as well as to prevent erosion.
Lower
Utility Bills
Lower
utility bills are a wonderful side-affect of more greenspaces. Plants
absorb heat, causing less heat to be reflected back into the environment
during warm summer months. This keeps the outside temperatures lower
and makes it easier for air-conditioning systems to function. Trees
also shade homes and buildings, lowering the temperatures in those as
well. In the winter, the heat that plants trap helps hold heat around
houses and buildings. Homes with many trees and bushes around them don't
require as much energy use as homes without greenspaces.
Calm
Traffic
Studies
have shown that people drive more slowly along streets and drives that
are lined with greenspaces. Wider open spaces promote faster speeds,
increasing the likelihood of fatal accidents.
Reduce
Noise
Trees
and other plants serve as wonderful barriers to noise. Large cities
have known for years that large plantings between interstate highways
and residential areas absorb large amounts of noise, making for a better
quality of life for the residents in those areas. The same principles
work in smaller communities as well. Having greenspaces along the roadways,
or near manufacturing plants is not only aesthetically pleasing; it
also reduces the noise produced there.
Increase
Property Values
A
natural landscape, or even a manicured greenspace increases property
values. Studies have shown that businesses and homes up for sale that
are surrounded by greenspaces are much more marketable and command a
higher price than those with the same footage without greenspaces adjacent.
Provide
Habitat for Wildlife
We
all know that greenspaces provide homes for wildlife. Animals that are
essential to our ecosystem rely on greenspaces for their habitat needs.
When greenspaces are not available, they move on, leaving behind pest
species that can survive well in human habitats, such as rodents, termites,
and cockroaches. Where greenspaces exist, the animals that eat these
pests can better survive and keep their numbers in check.
Add
Soil Nutrients
As
plants die, they drop to the ground and begin to decay. It is this process
that leads to the formation of new topsoil. The organic matter of the
plants is broken down into a form that can be used by other plants as
they grow and develop. The richest and healthiest soils are always found
where there has been tremendous plant life in the past, or where the
organic matter from these plants has been deposited through erosion.
Aesthetically
Pleasing
Perhaps
one of the most selfish reasons for preserving greenspaces is our own
enjoyment. The natural beauty that a greenspace provides for us adds
to our quality of life in a variety of ways. There is almost no one
that doesn't appreciate the beauty of our natural word, at least in
some respects. Good mental health, lower blood pressure, and fewer tension
headaches are just a few of the many benefits that we can receive from
greater greenspaces around us.
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