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FACTOID!!
The biggest and heaviest seed in the world is that of the Seychelles coconut. It can weigh as much as 30 kilograms (66 pounds).


Forget rainforests


Forget rainforests
Rising levels of greenhouse gases have led to faster tree growth in arid regions due to the larger amounts of carbon dioxide available to trees in the atmosphere. Trees combine water with carbon dioxide to grow and the abundance of carbon dioxide is making this process more effective. Planting forests in dry areas to combat the effects of global warming is now being considered. Although desert trees grow slowly, at between one-tenth and one-quarter of the rate of tropical rainforests, the large amounts of land available for tree planting in arid countries should not be ignored. Planting more trees could help to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, helping to balance the Earth’s carbon budget.
2 OCTOBER 1999, P. 25
New Scientist
2 OCTOBER 1999, P. 25

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