Forest

ecosystem · trees · nature · biodiversity

One third of Earth. Forests cover about 31 percent of all the land on our planet, which is over 4 billion hectares. That is a massive area where trees rule.

Trees need space. A real forest needs trees that are at least 5 meters tall (about as tall as a two-story house) with enough trees to cover more than 10 percent of the ground when you look from above.

Different everywhere. People around the world define forests in different ways depending on how many trees they have, how tall they grow, and what lives there. There are hundreds of different definitions.

Not farms or cities. A forest is not the same as farmland or a city with scattered trees. It has to be wild land where nature is in charge, not where humans grow crops or build homes.

Living systems. Forests are ecosystems, which means they are complete worlds where trees, animals, plants, and soil all depend on each other to survive.