Excessive logging and expanding human settlements have destroyed large swaths of forests. Now we are understanding how grave a mistake these have been. Organizations are trying to make things better by planting tress all over the world in partnership with the locals. Anyone can help through donations or through initiatives like converting shopping rewards into trees instead of cashing out. All of these beg the question, “what are the factors that affect costs of a tree?”
Seeds
Everything starts with the seeds. These need to be bought or collected from existing trees. All of these require manpower and other expenses. High quality seeds are required to produce strong and resilient trees. Experts have to be consulted to find out the kinds of plants that are suitable for a given area given the weather, the soil conditions, the needs of the animals living there, and the other goals of the project.
Nurseries
The seeds can’t be taken to the forests for planting right away. They have to be nurtured into seedlings to have a better chance of success. This means having to build and maintain a nursery with a fairly large area for the plots. Nurseries have their own staff that look after the seedlings every day until they are ready to be moved. They wait until there is a developed root system and leaves to sustain the young plant.
Planting
Next we move on to the actual planting on the sites where the seedlings will
costs of a tree. Transportation and logistics can be difficult. These areas are generally far away from the cities with unpaved roads and a bit of hiking to reach the intended spots. The people who are planting require compensation, food, equipment, and transportation. The seedlings have to be packed and handled carefully as well.
Caring
It doesn’t stop there. Once the seedlings have been planted, they must be monitored to ensure that they are growing strong and healthy as intended. Any issues encountered along the way have to be solved including pests and loggers in the area. The caretakers have to be skilled, and skilled workers deserve adequate compensation for their toil.
Paperwork
All of these call for organizational skills on an international scale. It also requires a lot of paperwork as different government agencies have to issues approvals for the projects. Project managers must also get the visas and other documents needed to oversee operations.