Trees and Forests of the World: Why They Matter to Us

Did you know that increasing wind speeds are not toppling trees - but fierce competition is? Or that deforesting without a bulldozer is difficult in many climates?

Here we explore the world's trees and forests, challenging established perspectives on fundamental questions: why do trees grow to the sizes they do? How much forest cover we should aim for?

Efforts to better understand the use and management of the world's forests are hindered by intentionally ambiguous terms that make analytical...