Climate Change’s Dangerous Effects on the Boreal Forest
The forest's unique ecosystem protects the world's largest carbon sink—the Earth's permafrost layer. But for how much longer?
Could More Urban Trees Mitigate Runoff and Flooding?
With climate change comes more flooding. As cities confront the risks and potential damages, trees could become even more important.
Plant of the Month: Cork
Why is cork so strongly associated with bottle stoppers? The answer goes back centuries.
Tree Bark and Fire
A tree's hard outer bark helps it survive. Studying why it's thicker on some trees than others could help scientists understand how to protect them.
How Tree Ring Records Can Help Predict Droughts
Inside the trunks of trees lies a wealth of data on climate that goes back generations.
Is Your Favorite Tree an Invasive Species?
Some superstar trees in the US are actually invasive to their ecosystems. Blossoming cherry trees, for example.
What Happens to a Tree When It Dies?
Decomposing trees on the forest floor become "dead wood"—a part of ecosystems that researchers are only beginning to understand.
Good News for the Lodgepole Pine!
The long-lived species' survivor genes are dispersed from the Yukon to southern California, meaning that it has a good chance of weathering climate change.
Why Some Buddhist Monks Ordain Trees
Buddhist monks in Thailand began tying trees with their traditional colored robes in the 1980s, as threats to ecology increased.
Plant of the Month: The Dragon Tree
Dragon's blood is all the rage now, but where does the scarlet resin come from?