Unchecked surface runoff from rain or snow can devastate a watershed. Soils can wash away, permanently degrading the land. But not in forests. Forest soils soak up water like sponges, letting it percolate into groundwater to recharge streams and maintain an even year-round flow. Even in heavy downpours, forests keep runoff and soil loss to a minimum.
History is littered with civilizations that abused their forests and suffered.
The bare, rocky hills of Greece were once covered with lush forests. Then people cut down the forests for fuel and agricultural land. The land, deforested and degraded, lost its ability to hold soil and water. Eventually, the people could no longer eke out a living on the land. Social and economic disruption followed, and Greece lost its prominence in the ancient world.