Trees Role in the Environment

Yes, trees are key! We are killing the Amazon and so many trees need to be planted now!

I expect to soon be a member of a committee covering Trafford allotments, and your community's project has given me an idea for taking forward the production of food in our borough. We are short of land, but there could be something done to produce community orchards.

Your community is indeed wise. Not only have you trees, but in allowing picked fruit you have avoided packaging, another plus both for the landfill and often as a reduction of plastic wrap, which requires oil. Once multiple benefits occur it is difficult to fine problems that offset all of the good. And I bet the fruit is neither waxed to look better not have chemicals, thus avoiding chemicals in the diet.

Our local council has been planting trees but as Community Orchards where the community can go along and pick the fruit when it is in season and all FREE. This has a positive effect on climate but also provides healthy fruit for us free of charge. The orchard closest to us has Apple trees, Damson, trees, Plum trees, Pear trees , Cherry trees and wild blackberries. Today we went down and picked 1lb of blackberries and 3 apples.

Indeed, we must respond in some manner.

These issues are indeed more complicated than we think. We all need to do what we can, but even with our best efforts, we cannot "reverse" global warming. We have gone too far to do that. What we can do is lessen its impact on our small part of the world, realizing that changes in temperature may undo even the little positive things we try. But try we must.
As far as lawns go, they are a poor use of resources. There are some ground covers that may grow in some places. I know people who plant vegetable gardens where there used to be lawns. Vegetables require some water, though, but we can at least eat the results.

Thanks again for your meaningful insight.

That is short sighted, for they should realize that climate is changing. Here in Britain we realize that climate change is altering weather patterns. Northern and western regions are ending to suffer more winter storms, some severe, while the more southern and Eastern regions are have drier summers. The National Trust, which is the custodian of the nation's cultural heritage, is having to do some serious thinking about how far it will be able to save the lawns in some of the great country houses that it preserves. They were made in an age when there was sufficient rain, but in certain areas of this island sufficient summer rain cannot be relied on in future, and as lawns are water intensive, and changes might have to be made.

Shallow rooted trees, such as beech, may suffer in drier areas as their roots do not reach deep enough for the deeper ground water.

In California they are just letting the lawns die, and bare earth is the replacement. Green grass is more reflective than brown earth. Images on television of those not complying show green amidst brown bare earth. Colored stone would be better, but apparently people are takin the position the several year long drought is temporary.

An interesting point about reflectivity and lawns. Why is a lawn more reflective than what is replacing it? Would this be so in every case or in just some cases? I ask this because there is ecological pressure in South East England to replace lawns with other forms of garden. Some people are going for stone surfaces, but others want drought resistant plants. Certainly Mediterranean gardens do not have lawns, because of the dry conditions in the Mediterranean.