Trees grow on all the continents, except Antarctica! A continent is a large piece of land, and on Earth, there are seven continents, which are: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica. Antarctica is the most southern point on Earth and there is not a lot of soil (another word for dirt); instead, there is a lot of rock, ice and snow. Because of that, trees don't grow there now!
Trees that live in places that have harsh winters where they get covered in snow and the ground freezes have evolved to survive in those conditions. There are two types of trees; one is called “deciduous” and the other is “evergreen.” Deciduous trees do something called “dormancy,” which is almost like taking a very long nap during the winter until the Earth is warm again and the snow has melted. In dormancy, the tree drops all of its leaves, stops growing and works on preserving the nutrients. Evergreen trees, on the other hand, have developed differently, so they do not have to take the same nap that deciduous trees do and they keep their leaves on all year round; this is why they are called evergreen trees.
A big problem that trees around the world face is being cut down! When a lot of trees in one area (such as a forest) get cut down, it can be called “deforestation.” Deforestation is a big problem because forests are often home to many different animals and insects. Not only are forests important to animals and insects, but they also help clean the air that we breathe.
