My son asked me the other day, "Does cutting down trees affect rains?
Yes. It does. Trees are necessary for rain. Trees creates cold and humid atmosphere required for rain.
Water from ponds, lakes, rivers, seas get evaporated due to the heat of the sun and rise as water vapor. As we go up in the atmosphere, it is cooler. So, at maximum height in the atmosphere, the water vapour in the air condenses and tiny water droplets are formed. These tiny water droplets floating in the air along with dust particles are called clouds. As the clouds move up further, it is even cooler. Water droplets come together to form larger water droplets. The larger water droplets are so heavy that air cannot hold them. There fore they fall down as rain. If the temperature is very low, the water droplets freeze in the atmosphere and fall as hail or snow. The coming down of water in the form of rain or hail or snow is called precipitation.
Important thing to note is that the water vapour is also added by the plants through a process called transpiration. Let is look at what is transpiration.
Water from ponds, lakes, rivers, seas get evaporated due to the heat of the sun and rise as water vapor. As we go up in the atmosphere, it is cooler. So, at maximum height in the atmosphere, the water vapour in the air condenses and tiny water droplets are formed. These tiny water droplets floating in the air along with dust particles are called clouds. As the clouds move up further, it is even cooler. Water droplets come together to form larger water droplets. The larger water droplets are so heavy that air cannot hold them. There fore they fall down as rain. If the temperature is very low, the water droplets freeze in the atmosphere and fall as hail or snow. The coming down of water in the form of rain or hail or snow is called precipitation.
Important thing to note is that the water vapour is also added by the plants through a process called transpiration. Let is look at what is transpiration.
1. Transpiration is the process by which plants return water to the atmosphere. After absorbing water from the ground, plants release water through their leaves. Transpiration helps plants stay cool, in the same way perspiration keeps humans and animals cool.
2. Plants and trees have pores on their leaves – stomata – which enable the exchange of gases such as carbon dioxide between the leaves and the surrounding air. When stomata open, water droplets are released and usually evaporate from the leaf’s surface. This process is known as transpiration and provides an important source of moisture for cloud formation and rain.
How much water do plants transpire?
An acre of corn gives off about 3,000-4,000 gallons (11,400-15,100 liters) of water each day, and a large oak tree can transpire 40,000 gallons (151,000 liters) per year.Large rainforests (and their humidity) contribute to the formation of rain clouds, and generate as much as 75 percent of their own rain.
This continuous movement of water from the earth's surface, water bodies and plants as water vapour to the atmosphere and back to earth's surface as rain hail or snow is called water cycle. This cycle maintain the supply of water on land.
So, trees play a very important role in maintaining the supply of water. Let us conserve trees.
This continuous movement of water from the earth's surface, water bodies and plants as water vapour to the atmosphere and back to earth's surface as rain hail or snow is called water cycle. This cycle maintain the supply of water on land.
So, trees play a very important role in maintaining the supply of water. Let us conserve trees.
