Throughout history, forests have been a resource of water, game, fuel, and timber for all. Millions of people still live and depend on forests for their livelihood. Forest plants are vital to maintaining global food production.
Forest industries make a major contribution to world trade and economic growth.
Forests play a key role in protecting the global environment. Global forests in crisis Boreal forests of the North cover a greater area than tropical forests and absorb one sixth of total carbon emissions. They are being extensively damaged by subsidised commercial logging. The temperate forests of North and South are being damaged by industrial pollution, droughts, fires, and nutrient stress. The tropical forests of the Southern hemisphere are disappearing at a rate of 15 million hectares a year due to population pressure, conversion to agricultural land, mining, and industrial development.