"Dozens of countries have extraordinary tropical forests, but three stand out: Brazil, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These countries not only have the largest areas of tropical forest within their borders; they also have the highest rates of deforestation.

We traveled to protected areas deep inside these countries to learn the superpowers of three tree species that play an unusually important part in staving off environmental disaster, not just locally, but globally. These trees play many ecological roles, but most impressive is how they produce rainfall, remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and support hundreds of other species.

If these ecosystems collapse, the climate effects are likely to be irreversible. And so what happens to these forests truly affects all life on Earth."

Eliza Barclay, Umair Irfan, and Tristan McConnell report for Vox December 12, 2019, with photographs by Victor Moriyama, Ardiles Rante, and Sarah Waiswa. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Supertrees: Meet Indonesia’s Carbon Guardian" (Vox) [3]

"Supertrees: Meet The Amazonian Giant That Helps The Rainforest Make Its Own Rain" (Vox) [4]

"Supertrees: Meet Congo’s Caretaker Of The Forest" (Vox) [5]