Moringa Oleifera or commonly known as Drumstick Tree & Horseradish Tree
Why Trees?
Trees, and other plants’ respiration systems (how they breathe) are different than humans and other animals. While humans and other animals breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, trees and other plants breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen.
It has been established to most people’s satisfaction that the earth, in general, is getting warmer. And most people agree that one of the major causes for this warming is the increase in carbon dioxide around the world.
Trees help to slow the increase in global warming in two significant ways:
- Trees take carbon dioxide out of the air and emit oxygen.
- The shade from trees cools the surroundings.
Trees also play a very important role in soil conservation. The roots of trees help stabilize soil and prevent erosion. The clearing of trees to make agricultural land has resulted in the expansion of deserts around the world.
While trees have many other benefits, if people around the world reduce the effects of deforestation by planting trees, the trend of global warming and desertification can also be reduced.
Technical Tree Information
Three trees have been identified as preferred choices for planting in Africa, based on three criteria:
- nutritional value – food source
- commercial value – oil from nuts for biodiesel and other uses, leaves for animal fodder, trees used as a hedge to protect food crops, building materials
- process value – fertilizer, water clarification
The three tree species are the Moringa Oleifera, the Jatropha Curcas, and the Paulownia tree. These trees can also be viable in other parts of the world, depending on climate conditions, especially the Paulownia tree, because of its wide range of climactic adaptability.