Previously, Welch reported on a highly detailed survey of the world’s trees that showed how the largest among them are vanishing around the globe, due to a devastating combo pack of habitat loss, overharvesting, disease, and fires, the latter of which is only getting worse as the world heats up. Most alarmingly, a decline in big trees means that forests are less able to take up and store carbon dioxide gas from our atmosphere, leading to a potentially dire feedback loop.



Clearly, the fates of humans and trees are intertwined in ways that we are only starting to fully appreciate. So, the next time you rest for a spell under a rustling canopy or pick an apple