Large quantities of carbon are absorbed by plants from the carbon dioxide in the air and are subsequently used to create biomass through the process of photosynthesis. Hence, maintaining sufficient, vigorously growing forested areas can help mitigate climate change. Forests deserve some credit for limiting the recent net increase of carbon in the atmosphere to about 3000 million tons annually. However, an increase in small-scale tree planting and trees in agriculture worldwide could probably more than rival industrial plantations in carbon dioxide capture capacity and have other positive effects. Impact on agriculture Destruction and degradation of forests create serious difficulties for production by agriculture and for the health of the environment.
Forests reduce erosion of land outside as well as within the forest.
They minimize the siltation of rivers, dams and reservoirs. If their functions as watersheds are impaired, these can be restored over time and destroyed vegetation cover can be re-created, but at a price. The wider environmental, economic and social benefits to be derived from well-managed forest areas are not yet precisely known, but in areas that were poorly managed, the costs of rehabilitation have proved to be enormous. At the local community level, serious consequences can arise from the disappearance of forest cover, for example through ensuing loss of edible fruits, wildlife meat and hides, spices and other traditional products. Plentiful solar radiation and water supply ensure that tropical rain forests have a high primary production, about twice that of temperate forests.