While people often recognize the inherent beauty in a forest, we seldom realize the crucial planetary role that forests play. Not only do the forests provide critical habitat for most of the world's species of plants, animals, and insects, they serve life-sustaining functions to people as well. Trees and plants metabolize carbon dioxide to give us oxygen. Much of the world's carbon is stored in living things, and the majority of that carbon is held in plants and trees. When forests are damaged or destroyed, and especially burned, carbon is released, contributing to the growing number and volume of greenhouse gases accumulating in our atmosphere that are linked to global warming.
Forests are also crucial in supporting the surrounding ecosystems.
They serve as giant water purifiers as rain and moisture percolate down through the vegetation and soil, into the aquifer, as well as lakes, streams, and rivers. When forests are degraded, massive erosion can occur. This removes viable topsoil and remaining vegetation, and fills surrounding streams and lakes with silt, thereby drastically reducing water quality for humans and animals. Old growth forests are the most valuable, having the greatest biological diversity, the most developed ecosystems, and the oldest and largest trees. The sheer numbers of people on this planet have begun to strain the very systems that are supposed to support us.