There are more than 65,000 species of trees on Earth, according to the first database in history to catalog all of the world’s trees. But that number is on the decline, with nearly 10,000 species of trees–about 15 percent– facing extinction.

Working with data from 500 botanical organizations around the world, the Botanical Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) in London compiled the comprehensive list. The research appears in the recent issue of the Journal of Sustainable Forestry.

“BGCI’s main reason for publishing the list is to provide a tool for people trying to conserve rare and threatened tree species,” the organization said in a statement.

And the database appears to do just that; the BGCI says that through the data, researchers were able to see the damage to tree species caused primarily by deforestation and global warming. Specifically, 300 species of trees are considered critically endangered, with 50 or fewer trees of each of the species remaining, the report noted.

Karomia gigas, a tree species found in a remote part of Tanzania, is severely close to extinction, notes BBC. “At the end of 2016, a team of scientists found a single population of just six trees.”

The report identified the highest percentage of tree species as occurring in South America, with more than 8,000 different species found in the lush tropical Amazon rainforest region in Brazil. Colombia came in second with more than 5,700 species.

The region with the lowest number of tree species is the Nearctic region, which includes much of North America.

“Getting location information, such as which countries do these trees occur in, gives us key information for conservation purposes,” BGCI secretary general Dr. Paul Smith told the BBC. “That is hugely useful for us in prioritizing which ones we need to do conservation action on and which ones we need to do assessments to find out what their status is.”

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Related on EcoSalon

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For your next vacation, channel your inner child and stay at one of the many treehouse hotels catering to nature lovers

While you may think treehouse hotels are simply a figment of your inner-child imagination, they actually do exist. From more down to earth accommodations to tres chic options, the sky’s pretty much the limit (and the technical goal, here) when it comes to the choices. What better way to commune with nature than to do so amongst the treetops?

All you have to do is book your flight and arrange the time off from work.

Treehouse Hotels for Your Next Nature Getaway

1. Treehouse Point – Fall City, Washington

Located about 30 minutes from Seattle, this treehouse is situated in the forest along the Raging River. Choose from among nine different treehouses so you can tune out, escape from technology, de-stress, and enjoy the rejuvenating powers of the Pacific Northwest.

2. Post Ranch Inn – Big Sur, California

Are you independently wealthy with a love for trees and the beach? Then you simply must stay at one of the treehouses at the Post Ranch Inn. These treehouses are freestanding structures built on stilts amongst the forest trees and feature full hotel service including turndown and room service.

3. Treehouse Cottages – Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Looking for something closer to the other side of the country? Consider staying at one of the rustic treehouse cottages among the canopy of hardwood trees only minutes from historic downtown Eureka Springs. The Hidden Forest treehouse is 24-feet off the ground and features a heart-shaped jacuzzi with a view of the treetops.

4. Free Spirit Spheres – Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Nestled amongst the enchanted coastal rainforest on Vancouver Island, you will find these spherical treehouses. The Eryn sphere can be found hanging amongst a Douglas Fir and some red cedar trees and is perfectly cozy for two.

5. Primland Lodge Treehouses – Meadows of Dan, Virginia

Located about 90 minutes from Roanoke, the Primland Lodge encapsulates both the luxury of a fully accommodating hotel with the stunning natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Choose between the Barn Owl, the Cooper’s Hawk and the Golden Eagle treehouses–each one if the perfect place from which to gaze at the stars.

Related on EcoSalon

25 Photos of Zen Retreats
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7 Quirky and Sustainable Vacation Rentals to Lust Over

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The reality of artificial Christmas trees.

Are you or are you not going to have a Christmas tree? That is the question.

And if you are going to have a tree, is it going to be a real one or an artificial one? Welcome to the annual Christmas tree debate, a debate that happens to be a bit more complex than “buy this, not that.”

Each year, Americans buy about 30 million real trees and about 13 million artificial ones. While many people buy artificial trees under the auspice that they are reusable, in a much-cited New York Times article on the subject it was noted that in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, use of resources and human health impacts, an environmental consulting term estimated that an artificial tree would have to be reused for more than 20 years in order for it to be “greener” than buying a fresh-cut one every year.

Here are ten other facts that could sway you away from buying an artificial tree:

1. Your artificial tree has about an 85% chance of being made in China.

2. Most artificial trees are made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a non-renewable, petroleum-based plastic, whose production releases carcinogens.

3. The average family uses an artificial tree for six to nine years before it ends up in a landfill.

4. A byproduct of artificial tree factories? Industrial pollution. Byproduct of tree farms? Oxygen and absorption of carbon.

5. In the event of a fire, an artificial tree will release hazardous fumes.

6. The U.S. Christmas live tree industry creates more than 100,000 jobs.

7. An acre of Christmas trees provides the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people.

8. For every real Christmas tree harvested, two to three seedlings are planted in its place the following spring.

9. This is what a Chinese tree factory looks like and this is how trees are made. This is what an American Christmas tree farm looks like and this is how the trees grow.

10. Approximately 20 million plastic trees in U.S. households have a danger of lead exposure due to aging.

Choosing to get a real tree? Just because you’re opting for a real one doesn’t mean it’s inherently sustainable. Choose an organically grown tree and cut your environmental impact down and buy local; driving three hours one way to get a tree from the wintry woods accounts for a lot of carbon emissions. And once Christmas is over? Compost that thing!

Related on EcoSalon:

11 DIY Alternatives to Real Christmas Trees

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, How Non-Toxic Are Your Branches

Between the Lines: Christmas is the Last Thing I Want For Christmas

Image: Theresa Thompson

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Our deep connection with nature has roots seemingly as old as humanity itself. Ancient Celts viewed trees as sacred symbols of fertility and rebirth. Conservationist John Muir believed that everyone should have a sanctuary where “nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” A recent study from the U.S. Forest Service now suggests that this primordial bond goes beyond metaphor, providing scientific evidence that tree and human health may be intertwined.

“I basically tagged onto one of the oldest ideas in the word,” said lead author Geoffrey Donovan, a researcher at the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station. But “the quantification is a new thing.”

Donovan and colleagues combed through demographic, human mortality, and forest health data from about 1,300 counties in 15 states from 1990 through 2007. Their findings? In counties where trees were plagued by the invasive emerald ash borer, about 15,000 more deaths from cardiovascular disease and approximately 6,000 from lower respiratory disease were reported compared to uninfested areas. The researchers focused on these ailments in particular since trees can filter particulates and other pollutants, improving air quality. Even after controlling for demographic variables, such as race, income, and education, they observed the same trend.

Since earlier studies of nature’s effects on human health often looked only at cross sections of the human population, they didn’t control for community influences on health. Other studies spanned only a year or a few years, but environmental changes happen slowly, and capturing their effects often requires much longer studies.

But Donovan didn’t have those problems, since the ash borer affected a broad swath of the country — wiping out 100 million trees in the eastern and midwestern U.S. — and trees can die quickly once attacked. A swarm of emerald ash borers can kill several trees at the same time, leaving once tree-lined streets barren within a few years of infestation.

Donovan’s study shows an association between loss of trees and human death due to cardiovascular and lower respiratory disease — suggesting, but not proving, a causal link. “This isn’t so much hypothesis proving as hypothesis generating,” Donovan said. “I hope this is ongoing research.”

He added that the results, published last month in the American Journal for Preventive Medicine, offer an understanding of health that could help inform policymaking in a tenuous economy. Although studies have shown that people living near parks tend to be healthier, building a park might not be feasible in a densely populated urban area. Tree planting could be an easier, more practical alternative.

“You need to know what you get for your investment. It turns out now if we plant trees or protect trees, there might be a public health benefit,” he said.  “Maybe we should think of trees as our public health infrastructure and look at it as a basic component of our well-being.” – Melissa Pandika

This article appears courtesy of Sierra Magazine.

Melissa Pandika is an editorial intern at Sierra and a graduate journalism student at Stanford University. Her interests include environmental health and justice, urban environmental issues, and conservation biology. She has a soft spot for cetaceans.

Image: icouldbreathe

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Explore a forest.

Remember the Lorax who spoke for the trees? As colorful as they may be,Truffula Trees have nothing on the ones in our own backyard. These six magnificent trees would leave even the Lorax speechless — and you don’t have to venture into a Dr. Suess book to find them.

1. The Banyan Tree; Lahaina, Maui. (Pictured above)

Don’t you just want to stretch out on one of these branches and read a book in the Hawaiian sun? Yeah, we do, too. Planted in 1873, this banyan tree was only eight feet tall. Today it stands 60 feet tall and has 11 more trunks than when it was first brought to Maui from India. It’s also a community center for the town of Lahaina, providing shade for almost an entire acre of land next to the beach.

2. The Lone Cypress; Monterey Peninsula, California.

The Lone Cypress earned its fame for its solitary cliffside location on the rocky California coast. We understand why — this tree is insanely photogenic! At 250 years old, this cypress is a landmark for California’s beautiful 17-mile drive on the Monterey Peninsula.

3. “Methuselah” Bristlecone Pine, California.

Gnarled and mangled, the Methuselah pine tree stands as the oldest living thing in the world. This tree has seen it all, and its twisted branches hold stories over 4,800 years old. No wonder it was named after the oldest person in the Hebrew Bible!

4. Pando Aspen Tree Grove; Utah.

Head to this grove of quaking aspen trees in southern Utah and you’ll find yourself face to face with the largest living organism in the world. Yeah, we’re talking about the trees. Turns out, these trees share a connected system of roots, making them all essentially one giant organism. Pretty neat, huh? The grove was named “Pando,” after the Latin word for “I spread.”

5. General Sherman Sequoia; Northern California.

Who is General Sherman? The person, William Tecumseh Sherman, was a general in the Civil War. But we mostly care about the tree named after him — the Sherman Tree, the biggest tree (by volume) in the world. With a circumference of 102 feet, it would take almost 20 people holding hands to circle its entire trunk!

6. Ancient Angel Oak Tree; Charleston, South Carolina.

The Ancient Angel loves to spread its wings, with a canopy reaching almost 17,000 square feet. Visitors have described this tree as elegant and enchanting, with a Southern charm all its own. Ancient Angel may also be the oldest tree east of the Mississippi at the age of 1,400 years.

Bonus: Hyperion coastal redwood; Humboldt, California.

Discovered in 2006, the Hyperion redwood is considered the tallest tree in the world at almost 380 feet. Scientists are insistent on keeping the Hyperion safe — the giant continues to tower over the forest in an undisclosed location.

READ MORE:

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This post originally appeared in Sierra magazine.

Image: Bevis Chin, Tim Pearce, Clinton Steeds, msn678, mikebaird, Charleston’s TheDigitel,

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Trees do more than provide shade.

Is the oak tree outside your home the next Superman? New research suggests that it may be more protective than it appears. Geoffrey Donovan conducted a study in Portland, Oregon, which showed a negative correlation between tree size and crime rates. The larger the crown area of trees, the lower the crime rates.

Well-established trees may deter potential burglars by creating the impression that an area is well cared for, and subject to effective authority. Donovan’s study controlled for a number of factors, including the ethnic makeup of the neighborhoods and the value of homes. However, Donovan also admits that areas with larger trees were probably historically well maintained, which resulted in lower crime rates.

This makes sense, as there is also a strong correlation between tree cover and income level. According to a study on the demand for urban forests, for every 1 percent increase in per capita income, there was a 1.76 percent increase in demand for forest cover. When income dropped by the same amount, demand for forest cover dropped by 1.26 percent. You can see this inequality from space (or Google maps).

If the ability to fight crime doesn’t seem like enough of a reason to plant trees, don’t forget the other valuable functions of urban trees. Urban trees keep your home cool by providing shade, scrub the air of toxins (and greenhouse gases!), and decrease storm runoff.

READ MORE:

Congresswoman Speaks for the Trees

Interview: Trees for the Future of Haiti

Green Innovations Inspired by Trees

–By Laura Hayden/image courtesy of Google Maps

Laura Hayden is an editorial intern at SIERRA Magazine. She is a rising senior at Mount Holyoke College, where she is pursuing a major in Environmental Studies, and a minor in Journalism. She has a passion for all things pertaining to growing (and eating) food, and renewable energy.

Image: Ed Coyle Photography

The post Can Urban Trees Fight Crime? appeared first on EcoSalon.

At Free Spirit Spheres you can literally hang out in a Canadian forest.

How often do you stay in a handcrafted room? Not furniture wise, strictly speaking. But in an entire, spherical handcrafted structure (capsule, really) made from wood and fiberglass, which is then suspended from trees in a coastal rainforest on Vancouver Island? Never, you say. Well, it’s time to plan your next glamp-out in a circular porthole of your own.

Like something out of a surrealist Spanish movie, these convex structures look like giant eyeballs.

There are three Free Spirit Spheres: meet Melody, Eryn and Eve (whose details page is, naturally, called All About Eve). Well, they’d have to be female, offering such curvy, womb-like accommodation. Be warned: since they’re suspended, they do sway.

Designed with comfort and compactness in mind, rather than high style, each pod has a double bed and a small table for two. It’s a tight fit. Measuring three metres diameter, Eve (cedarwood) is on the cozy side, while Eryn (spruce) is slightly roomier, at 3.2m, with a second bed on a loft gallery, plus fridge and sink. Melody is the deluxe version, in yellow fiberglass with a walnut interior. She also features a drop-down bed.

Get back to nature when nature calls in the mushroom-shaped composting outhouse.

As if it needed mentioning, there’s no WIFI here, although there are speakers fitted for you to plug in your iPod: the very definition of surround sound. In a separate nearby building are bathrooms with showers, a sauna, and a barbeque deck.

Rates from $269 including tax, arrival snacks, and the gentle croaking of Pacific Tree Frogs.

Images: Free Spirit Spheres

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

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It’s the season of sugar plums, pine needles, and Yule logs. Here’s a gathering of logs I think Yule love (I know, the wit is almost unbearable). Embrace the log (Yule or not) and invite these little lovelies into your home.

Acquire this rustic Wooden Cake Plate ($35) and have a handsome place to rest all those fruit cakes. The natural bark will pair beautifully with the contrast of almond bark or peppermint bark. (Click here for a resource of visually stunning and savory recipes).

If baking isn’t your thing, soak up the texture of nature with these log confections and cross-sections. There’s nothing like twenty million years of history to add a little charisma to your home. Hickory cross-sections finished with mineral oil are a lovely place to cradle your eggnog. A doormat of wooden coins brings graphic charm to the floor (indoor and/or outdoor). And finally, spice up your dinner table (and your food) with salt and pepper logs.

Clockwise from top center:

1. Tree Ring Placemats – VivaTerra, $59 (Set of 4)
2. Petrified Wood Trays – Jayson Home & Garden, $65 – $148
3. Hickory Coaster Set – Terrain, $20
4. Timber Doormat (Dark) – Chiasso, $48
5. Salt & Pepper Logs – Terrain, $16

If you prefer your branches whole, check out this wildly creative (and entirely natural) artwork.

The post Yule Logs You’ll Love appeared first on EcoSalon.

In just a few short weeks, the kids will head back to school, leaves will begin to change colors, and summer will fade to a blissful memory. Embrace a new season with a little scene change inspired by fall’s most iconic image.

1. Log Bowls from Loyal Loot (pictured above, price not listed)
The juxtaposition of reclaimed wood and bold shades of acrylic paint appeals to our artsy side. An assortment of these in differing sizes and colors arranged on a counter or side table would make an instantly fab focal point.

2. Birch Accent Pillow from Loop Organic ($100)
Available in green or chocolate, this pillow features the beautiful image of a birch branch silhouetted against white organic hemp. The effect is simple, yet supremely stylish.

3. Timber Doormat from Chia’sso ($48)
Made up of sustainable wooden “coins,” this timber doormat creates a Little House on the Prairie meets modern loft vibe. We love how the earthy colors and unpredictable pattern goes with almost any décor.

4. Small Disc Chimes S/4 from PigeonToeCeramics ($28)
Dress up your favorite tree with a set of porcelain windchimes and watch as they gently dance in the breeze. These are available with your choice of cord, but our personal fave is the natural jute twine.

5. Teak Trunks from VivaTerra ($139-275)
Whether you use these teak trunks as stools, end tables, or something else is entirely up to you. However you incorporate these versatile pieces into your space,  they’re sure to add a certain rustic charm.

Any of these pieces speak to you? Which one(s) are on your wish list?

The post Friday 5: Turning Over a New Leaf appeared first on EcoSalon.

Maybe it’s time for a tech break? A day-hike, maybe? Perhaps even an overnight in the woods, out in nature with no TV, no computers, no emails or phone calls. Ah, yes, leave that iWhatever behind, break out those boots (could it be they’ve never once been used? Not once?) and hit the trail. Shouldn’t you do this more often? You know, get more familiar with the local flora and fauna and – wait, isn’t there an app for that?! Ugh. Yes. Of course there is.

To help you with what probably should come naturally, MyNature has just launched its MyNature Tree Guide which helps you identify trees by answering a series of 15 questions (as many as you can, anyway). The app will match your answers against its database of 200 North American trees to find the one that most closely resembles what you’re encountering “in the field.” Once identified, you can see photos, range maps and profiles to learn more about the tree in question. For the drill-drown, you can access images of leaves, needles, fruit and bark, as well. There’s also a “MyNature Journal,” in which you can record the trees you’ve found, along with the location, weather conditions and whatever other musings you want to jot down to remember that not-quite-tech-free day when you encountered that killer oak.

As for the fauna, MyNature has you covered there, too, with its tried-and-true MyNature Animal Tracks application. This guy has a searchable database with track sizes and shapes in seven easy-to-place-what-you-see search categories. Like the Tree Guide, Animal Tracks features a ton of pics and drawings – even sound (.wav) files of animal “vocalizations” – that’ll help you figure out what’s what. You can check out a demo vid over at Treehugger or at the MyNature Site.

So add these apps to EcoSalon’s top 10 green things you can do with your iPhone and 10 green apps. Both are iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad ready and require iOS 3.0 or later (Animal Tracks is also available for Android). At $6.99 they’re not cheap, but c’mon, what is it worth to have access to the knowledge you need when you finally go for that tech-free day out in nature?

Just you, the fresh air, the birds and your smartphone. Mmmm.

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