Trees grow close enough that their crowns interlock and shade the ground. A forest is a dense stand of trees covering a substantial area, together with the understory plants, animals, and soils that form the ecosystem. Forests range from tropical rainforests to boreal conifer stands.

They store carbon, regulate water cycles, and harbor the majority of terrestrial biodiversity. Humans extract timber, fuelwood, and non-wood products, and convert forest land to agriculture. Sustainable management seeks to balance these uses with long-term ecological health.

Deforestation remains a major global issue, yet some regions are regrowing forest through natural regeneration or plantation. The structure of a forest—canopy layers, gap dynamics, fire regime—determines which species can live there. Walking into a mature forest still conveys a sense of complexity and continuity.

• Dense tree-covered ecosystem
• Supports high biodiversity and carbon storage
• Ranges across climate zones
• Subject to both exploitation and conservation