On its own, a tree cannot establish a consistent local climate. It is at the mercy of wind and weather. But together, many trees create an ecosystem that moderates extremes of heat and cold, stores a great deal of water, and generates a great deal of humidity. And, in this protected environment, trees can live to be very old.

~ Peter Wohlleben, “The Hidden Life of Trees”

Pacific Northwest Forest – photo by Craig Chanowski, bigstockphoto.com, used with permission