Advantages of growing trees

Trees take carbon dioxide from, and release oxygen into, the environment. They serve as landmarks and stopping points, for migrating birds and butterflies. They serve as above-ground transportation routes, tree to tree, for animals such as squirrels. They provide homes for wildlife, such as nesting birds and squirrels. They open up pore spaces for air and water, through their spreading roots. They hold soil together, through their roots. They give shade in extreme weather. They feed nature and people with their cones, fruit, nuts, sap [especially maple] and seeds. They feed the soil food web, with their exudates and through symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing nematodes. They break the force of strong winds. They're the source of building materials, furniture, and paper. They're recreational, because of swings and for climbing. They're a source of beauty in the landscape.