Importance of forests
According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations forests provide a wide
range of benefits [1]:
- Forests and woodlands have an important role in binding the soil and protecting it
against erosion and landslide.
- Forests help regulate the rate at which the snow melts and also reduce the danger of
avalanches.
- Forests provide protection against wind erosion
- Used judiciously in farming systems they help maintain the fertility of the soil.
- Forests have an important role as havens for wildlife and for the protection of
endangered species of plants and animals.
- Forests and woodlands provide a dwelling place for more than 200 million people in
the tropics
- Wood is one of the most versatile and ubiquitous products in human use, from the
timber used in construction and furniture to cardboard, chipboard, paper.
- Because trees, like all green plants, absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis,
reforestation is often suggested as a means of countering the increase in greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere.