“All the animals agreed: trees are great.”

The analysis showed that adding a single tree to pasture could boost, for example, the species number of bird species from near zero to 80. After this initial sharp increase, adding trees continues to add new species, but more gradually. As the stand of trees approaches 100 percent cover within the area of interest, endangered and at-risk species like wildcats and deep forest birds begin to appear.

“This is a win-win situation for planting trees and reforestation. One tree will increase the number of species quickly and planting a forest that fills in 100 percent of the area brings in the really charismatic species most at risk of extinction,” Mendenhall says.

(Credit: https://www.futurity.org/trees-biodiversity-1280382-2/ )