Figure 1.

Woody plants form the principal components in forests and many other ecosystems on our planet, providing food and habitats for innumerable organisms. (a) Quercus bumelioides, tropical rainforest, Tapanti National Park, Costa Rica; (b) Salix polaris, tundra, Svalbard, Norway; (c) Rhizophora stylosa, mangrove, Iriomote, Japan; (d) Pinus cembra, alpine forest, Prealps of Fribourg, Switzerland; (e) Mopane woodlands, Etosha National Park, Namibia; (f) Semidesert vegetation, Perekushkul, Azerbaijan. Pictures: E. Kozlowski (a,c,e,f), G. Kozlowski (b,d).