One Billion Trees Program to produce 4m tons of oxygen
annually, official says

Planting one billion trees over the course of four years
will help produce four billion tons of oxygen annually in Iran, Naghi
Shabanian, the deputy head of the Natural Resources and Watershed Management
Organization, has said.

“Iranian Agriculture Ministry’s goal of planting of 1
billion trees would help produce 4 million tons of oxygen, absorb 170 million
tons of particulate matters, and reduce 150 million tons of carbon emissions
per annum,” Shabanian said on Saturday.

He added that the One Billion Trees Program could also
reduce soil erosion by 25 million tons and save 500 to 2500 cubic meters of
water per hectare.

Trees are among the most important species on the planet due
to offering over 30 useful services to the ecosystem, such as oxygen production,
wildlife species protection, soil and ground water resources preservation, most
importantly reducing air pollution by absorbing the particulate matters.

Each tree produces 2 kilogram of oxygen annually, so one
hectare of trees can produce 2,500 to 3,000 oxygen which help 10 people to
breathe oxygen, while they can reduce the area’s temperature by 11 degrees.

As forests play a significant role in the carbon cycle, when
are cut down, not only does carbon absorption cease, but also the carbon stored
in the trees is released into the atmosphere as CO2 if the wood is burned or
even if it is left to rot after the deforestation process.

According to climateandweather.net, forests store up to 100
times more carbon than agricultural fields of the same area, it is estimated
that more than 1.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide are released to the
atmosphere due to deforestation, mainly the cutting and burning of forests,
every year.

Over 30 million acres of forests and woodlands are lost
every year due to deforestation.

Despite all these advantages the trees can bring us, they
are taken for granted even in Iran as 2 million hectares of northern forests
have been depleted since past 30 years.

In Zagros Mountains forest steppe (located in the country's
western border), 30 percent of its 6 million hectares (3.5 percent of Iran) is
wiped out, and 18 million oak trees died of pest and diseases.

During the past five years, 4 to 5 million trees in northern
forest have died.

Each 50-year old tree is worth $200,000 for its ecological
value, while we easily cut down trees aging 100 over above due to road
construction or mining activities.

Iran is ranked 17th among countries around the world
regarding its wide land area, which constitutes 1.2 percent of the whole
world’s land area.