Fresh water represents 3% of our planet’s total water. Tree roots rebalance the water cycle.
To keep the balance of the water cycle, rainwater must be absorbed by the soil and not just run off to rivers and the sea: soaking into the soil is how it reaches the water table, our freshwater reserves.
For the water table to be topped up, the soil must be aerated and porous and tree roots do that. Otherwise, the water will be “lost” and just pours away into streams and rivers, creating silt and into the sea or simply lost to evaporation.