Published: 21 Mar 2011
Forests cover over 30 % of the earth's surface.
They are one of the most important 'storehouses'
of biological diversity on land and play
a key role in regulating our planet's climate.
Their importance and the wide array of threats
on world's forests are in the spotlight
during the World Forest Day 21 March and
the UN International Year of Forests 2011.
Forests around the world
provide us numerous services including clean
air and water. They protect soil from erosion,
regulate water flows and capture carbon
from the atmosphere. The wellbeing of numerous
plants and animals, including many species
protected by European Union legislation,
is directly linked to forest ecosystems.
Moreover, forest patches also play a critical
role in facilitating species' movements
through their connectivity with other ecosystems.
Around and within urban areas, they are
essential for providing fresh air, reducing
dust and noise. They also serve as microclimate
buffers against urban heat.
Besides unsustainable
management practices, air borne pollution
and climate change, forests are also threatened
by fragmentation due to rapidly spreading
urban areas and transport networks. Both
the healthy functioning of forest ecosystems
and the biodiversity they foster are at
risk.
The world is losing
around 13 million hectares of forest cover
a year, mainly in the tropical forests of
South America and Africa. Because of their
global role in regulating our climate, the
impacts of deforestation in tropical forests
affect those well beyond the land cleared.
The year 2011 is the
United Nations International Year of Forests.
To help raise awareness about forests and
promote sustainable forest management, the
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
(UNECE) and Food and Agriculture Organisation
(FAO) are hosting a Regional Forest Information
Week between 21 and 25 March in Geneva,
Switzerland.
For more information
on the state of forests around the world,
see Vital Forest Graphics by UNEP, FAO and
United Nations Forum on Forests
