Forests 101

No matter where on the planet we live, forests are essential to our quality of life. The forests of the world temper our climate and filter air and water, acting much like a global air conditioning unit. Forests are often called 'carbon sinks' because they convert carbon dioxide to life-sustaining oxygen. Carbon is a greenhouse gas, and when highly concentrated in the atmosphere, contributes to climate change.

There are three main types of forests in the world: temperate, boreal, and tropical.

Forests are much more than their often-majestic trees, and provide habitat for an incredible diversity of life, including flowering plants, shrubs, mosses, lichens and fungi. This biodiversity supports a wide range of animals from large mammals like bear and elk, to migratory birds, rodents, and insects. Forests help prevent erosion and retain vital topsoil that's essential to the entire forest ecosystem. Forests regulate stream flows to prevent flooding, and shade these streams, cooling the water and providing stable habitat for fish.

This amazing web of life provides us with untold natural wealth, including clean air and water, essential ingredients for medicines, food, wood products and building materials like rubber. We have only identified about 10 per cent of what lives in the world's forests, yet we are cutting them down faster than we can discover and name flora and fauna, and determine their possible uses. Therefore, we may be losing vital natural wealth before it's even found.

The value that humans derive from forests is incalculable, and is often undervalued and ignored. On a purely economic level forests provide us with trillions of dollars in essential natural services. Read about the true value of eco-systems;

For most of us, however, forests are simply wonderful places to spend time and ponder the natural world.

Read more about the forests--the home of the worlds's tallest, largest, and oldest living things