Deforestation is the removal of forests. Reforestation is just the opposite. It is the rebuilding of forests. God had a clear purpose in His design of tree-filled forests. We can be good stewards of His creation by becoming “forest keepers.”

Ezekiel 17:24 says, “And all of the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.”

A forest of trees is full of habitats for living things. Trees provide shelter and nourishment for millions of organisms. Tree roots stabilize the ground. They prevent erosion, or the loss of soil. Most importantly, trees nourish living things with oxygen.

Healthy trees work like filters. They remove dust and pollution from the air. They absorb carbon dioxide and other harmful gases. When land is stripped of trees, the air loses its necessary filters. It quickly becomes dirty. That’s part of the reason why big cities have smog problems.

Trees are made to keep the atmosphere in balance. They suck up carbon dioxide and use it to grow. Then they release oxygen back into the air. That helps make a lovely world for people and animals to breathe in. We need oxygen, and we breathe out some of that carbon dioxide. It’s a huge reason why planting new trees to replace missing ones is important. If people take care of trees, then trees help take care of people!

Trees also help maintain the water cycle. They pull water from the ground and then send it back into the atmosphere. How? Tree leaves have tiny pores. Water vapor leaves the tree by way of those pores. We can’t see that water in the sky, but it is there.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, a healthy 100-foot-tall tree can take 11,000 gallons of water from the soil and release it back into the air in a single growing season.