Forest trees are crucial for sustaining life on Earth, but human activities have led to significant deforestation. This has resulted in a loss of tropical forests and forest soils, contributing to global CO2 emissions. Reforestation and sustainable forest management are essential, especially in low latitudes where large areas of land have been cleared and degraded. To address this, scientists are using molecular markers to study complex traits in forest trees. By dissecting these traits, they aim to gain a deeper understanding of the ecological processes affecting forests and improve the production of forest products on limited land.