Our Planet’s First Forests

Original article at World’s first tree reconstructed.

“In forming the first forests, they must have really changed the Earth system as a whole, creating new types of micro-environments for smaller plants and insects, storing large amounts of carbon and binding the soil together,” said study leader Christopher Berry of Cardiff University in Wales.

The rise of land plants such as Wattieza drastically altered the climate and paved the way for terrestrial animals and insects.

“The rise of forests removed a lot of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” Berry explained. “This caused temperatures to drop and the planet became very similar to its present-day conditions.”

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