14 Pictures of Extraordinary Trees

See photographs of surreal, tall, and tiny trees.

One of the most popular ways to celebrate Earth Day, on April 22, is to plant a tree. It seems so basic that it’s easy to forget the value of doing so. So National Geographic asked Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network, to explain the importance of trees.

ā€œThey hold our world together,ā€ said Rogers. ā€œThey support biodiversity, they provide building materials, but they’re undervalued by all of us.ā€

Trees don’t just give birds a place to live and provide shade from the sun, they impact the structure of their environment.

ā€œIf you cut down all the trees and build buildings without vegetation … you’re actually impacting the structure of your house,ā€ she said. ā€œTrees provide valuable architecture and hold the soil together. When you rip this all up, you’re actually standing on very unstable ground.ā€

Deforestation can also worsen the impact of severe weather. When storms hit, trees can protect soil from erosion and decrease flooding.

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