trees

The Castle Fire killed likely more than a thousand giant sequoias — including many that had stood for well over 500 years and some for 1,000 — on the western slopes of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, the Los Angeles Times reported. “This fire could have put a noticeable dent in the world’s supply of big […]

By Claire Turrell Languishing in the soft, silty mud, the living fossil looked as if it didn’t have a care in the world as it feasted on the fish left stranded in the tidal mangrove pools of the Sungei Buloh wetlands. However, the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) might have been a little less at ease […]

By Tara Lohan Earlier this month a series of lightning strikes touched off dozens of fires across California, burning 1.5 million acres, choking cities with smoke and claiming at least six lives. Outside California, large wildfires are burning in Colorado and Oregon, too. For people who live near the path of flames or the drifting […]

By Gregory Moore With massive fronds creating a luxuriously green canopy in the understory of Australian forests, tree ferns are a familiar sight on many long drives or bushwalks. But how much do you really know about them? First of all, tree ferns are ferns, but they are not really trees. To be a tree, […]

By Tara Lohan Warming temperatures on land and in the water are already forcing many species to seek out more hospitable environments. Atlantic mackerel are swimming farther north; mountain-dwelling pikas are moving upslope; some migratory birds are altering the timing of their flights. Numerous studies have tracked these shifting ranges, looked at the importance of […]

By Charli Shield Not too long ago, many people weren’t sure if trees had a place in cities. People, cars, houses and buildings made up urban areas — there wasn’t much room for nature. Trees now have a fundamental place in many big cities around the world, says Sonja Dümpelmann, landscape historian at the University […]

Some of the largest wildfires on record have swept across the West in recent years. Restoring these areas and managing forests to prevent more dangerous fires is complicated, especially as the climate warms. “A lot of our management has been designed up until now with the expectation of a stable climate. And that expectation is […]

On hot summer days, trees help cool city neighborhoods. And during extreme storms, they help absorb stormwater and reduce flooding. But low-income neighborhoods often have fewer trees than other areas, and reversing this inequity requires more than saplings and shovels. Haley Miller of the Oregon-based nonprofit Friends of Trees says it takes community outreach and […]