Why We Need to Protect The Forests We Have Left

It’s now more important than ever to protect the forest we have left.

“We cannot protect the Earth’s biodiversity without protecting our forests. They harbor most of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and support food security, jobs, and livelihoods for millions of people.” - Senior Programme Officer of the UNEP-WCMC.

Forests stabilize climate and they’re an integral part of mitigating climate change.

In this post, you’ll learn how forests:

🌿 absorb and store carbon

🌿 mitigate climate change

🌿 regulate ecosystems around the world

🌿 protect biodiversity

🌿 support livelihoods all around the globe

PS: Learn even more by reading How Much CO2 Does Your Forest Absorb.

Forests absorb and store carbon, mitigating climate change

Forests are one of the largest carbon sinks on Earth: they absorb carbon through photosynthesis and store it.

In fact: forests absorb twice as much carbon as they emit every year. Between 2001 and 2019, the world’s forests sequestered about twice as much carbon dioxide as they emitted.

It’s crucial to keep forests intact so they can continue capturing and storing carbon:

Around 25% of global CO2 emissions are sequestered in forests, grasslands, and rangeland.

If too many forests are taken down, more carbon stays in the atmosphere, heating the Earth even more.

It’s also important to know: the older the tree, the greater its potential to offset and store carbon.

Forests regulate ecosystems around the world

It’s baffling how much of what goes on in the world is affected by how forests are doing.

Forests:

• “Give” food, water, air, fuel, timber, and other goods
• Regulate climate and water, disease regulation, pollination
• Support soil formation and nutrient cycling

Not to mention the cultural aspects: educational, aesthetic, and cultural values.

There are plenty more benefits of forests:

• they control floods and erosion
• clean air, provide fiber, filter water supplies, sustain biodiversity, and much more.

Forests play a crucial role in protecting biodiversity and preventing its loss

Earth’s biodiversity is dependent on forests, which contain 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity.

Forests are home to:

• 60,000 different tree species
• 80% of amphibian species
• 75% of bird species
• 68% of mammal species

Destroying forests destroys homes, migration routes, and biodiversity in general.

68% of wildlife has been lost since 1970.

There are more than 38 500 endangered animal and plant species on Earth.

Forests support livelihoods all over the world

Globally, 1.6 billion people rely on forests for their livelihoods, many of whom are the world’s poorest. That’s nearly 25% of the world’s population!

Forests provide more than 86 million green jobs.

Of those living in extreme poverty, over 90% are dependent on forests for wild food, firewood, or their livelihoods.

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By joining Single.Earth, you set the example of an innovative forest owner taking care of their land sustainably while still earning money.

Your actions matter: be a part of saving the natural world!

We’re eager to onboard forest owners and make a difference, together.

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Single.Earth is on a mission to help preserve and restore existing ecosystems.

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