The first forests
Trees with roots tear the atmosphere apart
See it on the timeline →In depth
Gilboa in New York State preserves a fossil forest floor with the root systems of Eospermatopteris, and Archaeopteris — the first tree with true wood and a branching root system — spread worldwide in the late Devonian. The effects were global: deep roots accelerated chemical weathering, which drew CO₂ from the atmosphere and cooled the climate, while nutrients washed into the sea causing algal blooms and oxygen loss. Forests also built soil and stabilised river channels — the first meandering rivers in geological history appear now.
For children
Plants began competing for sunlight by growing taller, and the solution was wood: stiff trunks that could carry the weight. With trees came roots that broke up the rock beneath. Forests did not just change the landscape — they changed the air and the climate.
Connects to
Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org