TIL that a single mature oak tree can host over 500 different species of insects and other animals. Read it in a forestry journal at the library yesterday.

5 comments

5 Comments

That number's probably way low. They only count the things we can see. The real biodiversity is in the microscopic fungi and bacteria in the root system. A teaspoon of that soil has millions of organisms we haven't even named yet.

rowanw911mo ago

Kevin_Williams just made my brain hurt, honestly.

luna26129d ago

Sometimes I just close the tab and go make a snack.

fisher.jessica1mo ago

Just take a deep breath and step away from the screen for a minute.

milesbarnes29d agoTop Commenter

Hold on now, that's missing the point. Focusing on the bugs and fungi makes it sound like the tree itself isn't the real star. The fact it can support all that life is because it's a giant, complex living thing that's been standing for a century or more. That's the amazing part.