Native trees play an important role in the Northwest Florida ecosystem and have become even more important with the loss of natural habitats caused by development and coastal deterioration. Many native trees are well represented in the area, including Atlantic white cedar, southern magnolia, live oak, longleaf pine, bald cypress, sand live oak, and dogwood, but invasive trees and plants threaten them. Trees provide social, ecological, and economic benefits by removing carbon dioxide, improving air quality, filtering contaminants in soils to produce cleaner water, preventing soil erosion, reducing flooding by intercepting rainfall, and creating shade canopies that cool hot streets and parking lots. Tree canopies also keep water from heating in bright sun, and their loss can affect river ecology. Trees increase property values, provide wildlife habitats, and offer shelter for animals and livestock. One acre of trees produces enough oxygen for 18 people to breathe each day, planting 30 trees a year offsets the greenhouse gasses produced by a car and home, and one acre of new forest removes about 2.5 tons of carbon annually. In hurricane-prone Northwest Florida, knowing which trees can sustain high winds is important: oak, sand oak, southern magnolia, bald cypress, American holly, dogwood, and sweet gum provide the best wind resistance; longleaf and slash pine, turkey oak, pignut hickory, and wax myrtle provide intermediate wind resistance; and southern red oak, pecan, tulip poplar, black cherry, red maple, laurel oak, and water oak are least able to survive hurricane-force winds.