23 February 2013

Significance of planting Native trees


Native Trees

                      Native trees or native plant is a term used to mention the indigenous species that belongs to a particular geographical region. That is, it is said to be a well adapted species in its habitat. Native trees are special since it is well adapted to local soil and climatic conditions. Native trees can withstand the local diseases as they are adapted to defense on their own. They hardly need a human assistance. 

Merits of Native trees over non-native trees :

                     Native trees are well known about the defense methods they need to carry on against its diseases. Whereas non- native trees are unaware of the insects that affect,climatic change and soil type. Native trees as planted once require less maintenance as they are aware of the habitat, whereas non-native trees require more maintenance to adapt their conditions in a different habitat. Native species are aware of the available resources in their habitat and they grow on the account of its measure, whereas non-native trees which have no knowledge of the resources demands more when they are in need. For an instance, non-native trees may be in need of more water supply in an habitat where only limited water supply are available.
Native trees helps in maintaining the balance in the ecosystem. Native trees evolve themselves as they provide food and shelter for the insects, birds and animals of that specific habitat.

All these facts doesn't mean that only native trees should be planted, also non-native trees has some new hybrid varieties that adapt to all conditions, but the fact is Native trees are more active and beneficial than non-native trees. Hence Native trees must be planted more for conserving the biodiversity as they do not cause any harm to the environment.

Here's a link of an article from 'The-Hindu' newspaper which portrays that Native trees are less prone to  the natural calamities than non-native trees :

>* http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper

It would be unfair if i fail to mention native trees of India. In India trees are often meant to associate with wisdom and immortality.  The national tree of India is Banyan tree aka Bodhi tree. As i have heard the Banyan tree that is located at the Adayar Theosophical society, Chennai is one of the world's oldest banyan tree and it is said 450 years old. Lets have a deep note on it in the posts to come in future. Now coming back to the native trees of India, they are known for their majesty and opulence.


Here's the picture of Banyan Tree that I took at Auroville, Pondicherry aka Puducherry

Banyan Tree

Here's the list of some of the Native tree species of India :

                                                           * Banyan tree(National tree of India)    
   
                                  * Mango tree,                * Arjuna tree,        * Ashwagandha,          
                                  * Peepal tree,                 * Aloe vera,          * Eucalyptus,
                                  * Neem tree,                  * Tulsi plant,          * Tumeric plant,
                                  * Asparagus,                  * Amla plant,         * Tamarind tree.

Some of native trees of Tamil-Nadu are :
                          Palm trees, coconut trees, rosewood trees, Indian coral tree, Tamarind etc.,.


Plant more Native trees to enrich and conserve our Mother earth.. Do share about this with your people around..

Thanks for reading..

11 February 2013

Bamboo - Best friend to the Environment



Bamboo - A perennial flowering plant which is said to be one of the fastest growing plant on earth.. It is discovered that bamboo's growth rate of 100 cm in 24 hours is faster than the growth rate of any other trees.. They are widely used for building materials, houses, weaving baskets, medicines etc.. Apart from these facts, bamboo plays a vital part in conserving the environment.. The significant part to be noticed is that bamboo provides a perfect balance between oxygen and  carbon dioxide.. It is proven by the researchers that Bamboo produces 35% more of oxygen than any other trees and it removes carbon dioxide which helps to fight against Global warming..

     Bamboo also has some interesting added features such that it prevents soil erosion and it is the plant that can survive at any extreme climatic conditions..As i read in the web, bamboo was actually the first plant to re-green the environment after the atomic blast in Hiroshima. In china, bamboo has been used for medicinal purposes to cure kidney diseases and cancer.. Bamboo has many beneficial uses in the sectors of construction, making accessories, textiles, musical instruments and sometimes to feed animals.. There are also some beliefs of luck having a small bamboo plant in houses as shown below in the picture..Bamboo plant satisfies all the basic needs (Food,shelter and clothing) of humanity..Bamboo vinegar has been used in foods and medicines..  Despite all these uses, the most favorable one is being the best Eco-friendly plant.. Bamboo also avoids deforestation if it is harvested instead of shedding down the timber and wood.. Bamboo can be planted more, used more and thus it is recyclable..

As per researchers, growing forests can absorb carbon dioxide . As we previously learnt that bamboo absorbs carbon dioxide it is proved that one hectare of bamboo isolates 62 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year whereas a small forest isolates only 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide.. Hence it is clear that use or plantation of bamboo provides far better results to the humanity and most significantly to the environment..

Here's a deep note on bamboo and its process against global warming in the following links :


>* http://www.merinews.com/article/bamboo
>* https://sites.google.com/site/gboindia1/home/bamboos


Images Courtesy : Internet


Plant or support bamboo for Green Earth and to avoid global warming..

Thanks for reading..