Forests have always dealt with change. Droughts come and go, fires reshape landscapes, insects attack trees, and species gradually move as environmental conditions shift. What is different today is the speed and scale at which many of these pressures are changing. Climate change is altering forest ecosystems around the world through rising temperatures, changing rainfall … Read more
Why does a tropical rainforest look completely different from a boreal forest, even though both are dominated by trees? A large part of the answer comes down to two basic climate factors: temperature and rainfall. Together, they influence how quickly trees grow, which species can survive, how long the growing season lasts, how much water … Read more
Imagine removing every forest from the planet tomorrow. The obvious loss would be trees and wildlife, but the consequences would reach much further. Water cycles would change, soils would become more vulnerable to erosion, enormous stores of carbon would be affected, and countless species would lose their habitats. Communities that depend on forests for water, … Read more
A forest may look like a place dominated by trees, but trees are only part of the story. Beneath the soil, fungi connect with roots, bacteria transform nutrients, insects break down dead wood, and animals carry seeds across the landscape. Understanding how trees, fungi, animals, and microbes interact inside forest systems reveals something important: forests … Read more
A forest may look peaceful from the outside, but underneath that quiet green canopy, thousands of biological and physical processes are happening at the same time. Trees compete for sunlight, fungi exchange nutrients with plant roots, insects break down organic material, animals move seeds, and microorganisms recycle dead matter back into the soil. Understanding how … Read more