From a cluster of pin oaks in a city park to tropical jungles of teak and mahogany, forests are the life support systems of the planet. They pump our air full of oxygen. They fortify our soils. They shelter, feed, and shade. And they house an amazing amount of plant and animal diversity.

But in the past 200 years, many of the forests that once covered the planet have disappeared. Farms, houses, roads, and cities have sprung up in their place, along with imported species and whole plantations of just one kind of tree. That’s why many people say we need to protect large tracts of our remaining native forests. And we need to sustainably manage the rest of our forests to meet our growing need for wood, paper, and other forest products.

Layers of Life:
Peek into the zones of life in a rain forest tree from the island of Sumatra, and try to match the tree trivia to the correct rain forest species.