Humans and animals rely on trees for

oxygen, food and products

By National Geographic Society, adapted by Newsela staff on 04.25.19
Word Count 558
Level 820L

Image 1. Logs up for auction in Slovenj Gradec, Slovakia, February 13, 2019. A log auction has been held here for 13 years.
This year, most of the bids came from China. Photo by Milos Vujinovic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

There are many reasons to be thankful for

trees. Besides being beautiful and giving
shade, they provide habitats for animals.
They are essential for the production of
oxygen, which is needed for life on Earth.
Trees supply important products such as wood, paper, fruit and nuts. The
livelihoods of more than 1.5 billion people worldwide depend on trees.

Unfortunately, only about one-third of Earth's surface is forested. Forests tend to

fall into one of three types based on their location. There are boreal, temperate
and tropical forests. Boreal forests are located the farthest north, while temperate

This article is available at 5 reading levels at [Link] 1

forests grow in the mid-latitudes. Tropical forests are found closer to the equator.
Countries with the largest forested area include Russia, Canada and the United
States.

Forests are located in certain places because trees need specific conditions to
thrive. Fertile soil, sunlight and rainfall are all important for tree growth. In
places where the soil is poor, tree growth may be limited. The same is true of
places that do not receive much sunlight or rainfall. Temperature also matters.
Most trees do not do well in extremely hot or cold areas. Trees require conditions
that are just right.

Even when trees do have the necessary conditions, they are not always safe.
Trees can still be hurt by natural threats such as pests. One serious pest is the
mountain pine beetle. It has destroyed more than 100,000 square miles of forest
in the United States and Canada.

Forests Face A Variety Of Dangers

Another threat to forests is fire. Lightning

strikes can set entire forests on fire, and
heavy winds can quickly spread a fire.
Forest fires have become an increasingly
frequent problem in the western United
States. Fires have always been part of the
natural cycle in forests. Droughts and high
temperatures have become more common,
though. As a result, forest fires are becoming larger and more dangerous.

Less common problems include landslides, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In

May 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted in Washington State. It sent out a
shockwave and toppled thousands of trees. The eruption also triggered a series of
volcanic mudflows. They ripped trees from the ground and scattered them across
the land.

Human activities hurt forests as well. Some forests are cut down for wood, to
make room for new trees or to simply clear the land. In other cases, forests are
cut down to make room for farm animals. Tree removal is occurring in many
regions, and it can be harmful to ecosystems. Cutting down forests reduces
biodiversity. It destroys native habitats and forces animals to flee to find new
shelter. Cutting down forests is also harmful to the native people who live in or
near forests. Many of these people rely on trees for their food and shelter.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at [Link] 2

Trees do not grow equally around the planet. Some regions have more forests
than others, and this inequality has important effects. In areas without forests,
there are no forest products to be harvested and sold. People in those areas also
miss out on secondary benefits. They miss out on money from tourism and fees
from hunters going after animals. They also miss out on the simple pleasure of
being in the forest.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at [Link] 3

Quiz

1 What effect does tree removal have on forest ecosystems?

(A) It increases the space for animals to live and encourages more animals to live
there.

(B) It increases the number of farm animals, and other wild animals like to live
there, too.

(C) It decreases the number of different animals and plants that live in the forest.

(D) It decreases the amount of space that animals have to live but helps with
biodiversity.

2 What causes forest fires to grow worse?

(A) Forest fires grow worse when lightning strikes and there is no quick wind to
spread it.

(B) Forest fires grow worse when there have been fewer droughts in the area.

(C) Forest fires grow worse when there have been frequent dry spells and hot
temperatures.

(D) Forest fires grow worse when landslides and earthquakes happen at the same
time.

3 Read the paragraph from the introduction [paragraphs 1-4].

There are many reasons to be thankful for trees. Besides being beautiful
and giving shade, they provide habitats for animals. They are essential for
the production of oxygen, which is needed for life on Earth. Trees supply
important products such as wood, paper, fruit and nuts. The livelihoods of
more than 1.5 billion people worldwide depend on trees.

Which word from the paragraph helps the reader understand the meaning of "supply"?

(A) thankful

(B) provide

(C) important

(D) worldwide

This article is available at 5 reading levels at [Link] 4

4 Read the following selection from the section "Forests Face A Variety Of Dangers."

The eruption also triggered a series of volcanic mudflows. They ripped

trees from the ground and scattered them across the land.

What is the meaning of the word "triggered" as it is used in the selection above?

(A) started

(B) stopped

(C) replaced

(D) harmed

This article is available at 5 reading levels at [Link] 5

Answer Key

1 What effect does tree removal have on forest ecosystems?

(A) It increases the space for animals to live and encourages more animals to live
there.

(B) It increases the number of farm animals, and other wild animals like to live
there, too.

(C) It decreases the number of different animals and plants that live in the
forest.

(D) It decreases the amount of space that animals have to live but helps with
biodiversity.

2 What causes forest fires to grow worse?

(A) Forest fires grow worse when lightning strikes and there is no quick wind to
spread it.

(B) Forest fires grow worse when there have been fewer droughts in the area.

(C) Forest fires grow worse when there have been frequent dry spells and hot
temperatures.

(D) Forest fires grow worse when landslides and earthquakes happen at the same
time.

3 Read the paragraph from the introduction [paragraphs 1-4].

There are many reasons to be thankful for trees. Besides being beautiful
and giving shade, they provide habitats for animals. They are essential for
the production of oxygen, which is needed for life on Earth. Trees supply
important products such as wood, paper, fruit and nuts. The livelihoods of
more than 1.5 billion people worldwide depend on trees.

Which word from the paragraph helps the reader understand the meaning of "supply"?

(A) thankful

(B) provide

(C) important

(D) worldwide

This article is available at 5 reading levels at [Link] 6

4 Read the following selection from the section "Forests Face A Variety Of Dangers."

The eruption also triggered a series of volcanic mudflows. They ripped

trees from the ground and scattered them across the land.

What is the meaning of the word "triggered" as it is used in the selection above?

(A) started

(B) stopped

(C) replaced

(D) harmed

This article is available at 5 reading levels at [Link] 7