Trees provide food in the form of fruits and nuts, flavorings, and even edible flowers and leaves. Their protective bark provides not only medicines but also resins, barkcloth, and crok. Their heartwood and water - transport systems produce long-lasting wood that is used to make furniture and the pulp for all modern books and newspapers. Trees provide the bases for the perfume industry.

Forests harbor 75 percent of the world's biodiversity. Trees intercept rainfall and gently release it in watersheds; they absorb carbon dioxide and replenish the air with oxygen. 

Trees are planted to restore degraded landscapes and provide forage for hungry animals. They protect coastlines and riverbanks. some act as important shade trees and windbreaks; many others are grown as ornamentals.