What is the value of
an adopted
tree?
The answer to the seemingly simple question: “How much should I pay for my oxygen consumption?” may not be straightforward.
In recent times, awareness of the true value of original rainforests has been growing. A positive change in the global climate depends on preserving these forests, a vital source of oxygen for all life on Earth.
On each hectare of rainforest, 50–300 trees of various species, sizes, and shapes grow. For simplicity, we use the lower limit of 50 mature trees per hectare.
1 tree
produces 420 liters of oxygen(0.6 kg) per day
(220 kg O₂ / year)
1 hectare of rainforest
produces 21,000 liters of oxygenper day
(11 t O₂ / year)
Market price of oxygen per hectare/year $ 95,454
View market value of oxygen services →⚖ Balance
- An average family in Africa gains 660 m² of new agricultural land at the expense of the rainforest.
- For every 2 hectares of newly planted commercial forest, one worker along with their family finds employment and sustenance for 30 years.
660 m² × 30 years = ± 20,000 m² (2 ha)
By planting 2 hectares of new forest, 2 hectares of the original rainforest are preserved for 30 years.
Cost to plant 1 hectare of commercial forest $ 5,997
View calculation for reforestation of 5,000 ha →
By providing employment to 15 families, we plant 30 hectares of commercial forest at a cost of $ 179,910. This protects 1 hectare (50 trees) from being burned each year for 30 years, totaling 30 × 50 = 1,500 trees saved.
Saving 1 tree costs 179,910 / 1,500 = $ 119