Trees are essential to ecosystems as they provide food and shelter for many species. Trees also play a crucial role in regulating climate and reducing pollution.
Trees are like air purifiers as they act as guardians of our air quality, absorbing carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide while releasing fresh oxygen.
The oldest living tree on Earth is a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine named Methuselah in White Mountains, California. It is thought to be almost 5000 years old. Methuselah and other bristlecone pines are able to grow so old thanks to biological adaptations. They thrive in harsh soil, and their wood is exceptionally dense and resinous, making them resistant to insects, fungi and other pests.
The largest living tree on Earth is the General Sherman sequoia tree located in Sequoia National Park in California. It is not only the largest living tree in the world, but the largest living organism (by volume) on the planet. It is 2,100 years old and weighs 12.247,200 kg (2.7 million pounds). It’s approximately 84 mts (275 feet) tall and has a base diameter of over 11 mts (36 feet).
Sources
Suzanne Simard – The Mother Tree Project 
Mothertreeproject.org – The mother tree the word for world is still forest.pdf
Woodwellclimate.org – Global Forest Carbon Storage-explained/
Craig Holdrege – Sympoiesis – plants, oak trees and soil Goetheanum Oct 2024.pdf
One Tree Planted – The Biggest Tree in the World: General Sherman
June 2025 RETHINK
