Tree Planting the Cheapest Alternative in Combating Carbon-Oxygen Ecosystem Balance.

Tree planting is a well-known practice of planting trees as a replacement of fallen ones, considering the high economic utilization of timber materials in infrastructure development, food processing, preservation and textile industry. Its contribution as an atmospheric oxygen donor, in all this, its importance cannot be overemphasized.

It is an unarguable fact that to attend a safe environmental carbon-oxygen ratio balance, tree planting remains the cheapest form of oxygen recovery method.

The Team Lead Mr Emmanuel Emechete, who is also an environmentalist in an interview report with NAN on the 9th of January 2020 said that “the constant felling of trees has caused an imbalance in the environment to make up, hence planting trees is the work our industrial generation left for us to do, we are trying to undo their errors.”

Afforestation can have positive impacts on degrading land, including conservation of soil on degrading land by reducing soil erosion, as well as increasing soil organic matter, improving soil structure, sequestering carbon, increasing nutrient cycling and providing wildlife habitat.

Man’s activity has interfered with the ecosystem balance over the years, either by means of industrialization, survival, and the likes. The effect of the changing ecosystem caused by the indiscriminate falling of trees and failure to develop new forest reserve overweighs the present benefits enjoyed.

Looking into the present environment there is so much carbon imbalance, as almost all our environment is made up of paved surfaces and built-up areas while neglecting the inclusion of carbon recipient agents (Trees and Grasses) in environmental development and design.

It is on this note that Mr Emechete called for special and quick intervention for the sensitization and implementation of tree planting in line with the President Muhammadu Buhari’s pledge during the 74th UNGA on the planting of 25million trees. He also pleaded with the government through the ministry of environment to see this as a measure of correcting the error which has resulted from the acceptance of an environmentally unsustainable civilization. It is worthy to note that this sensitization and awareness campaign should be an issue of importance from the top to the local government, on the enduring negative effect of indiscriminate falling of trees to our environment, “Nigerians should be made to understand the importance of trees planted, if people don’t understand the essence of tree planting, they might just end up cutting the trees down even before they are grown” said Emechete.

Our mother earth needs a new life, and it’s our responsibility as we jointly fight against activities which jeopardizes ecosystem balance and work towards achieving a sustainable environment.

Edited by: Edak Ofonime Sunday