The Importance of Forests

Hi all!

Today I’m going to discuss the importance of forests and the many ecosystem services they perform that stabilize our climate.

Ecosystem services are processes provided by natural systems which include pollination, decomposition, and water purification. An example of a vital ecosystem service that forests provide is cleaning the atmosphere. Forests are carbon sinks, which means that they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When deforestation occurs, humans are essentially destroying countless sources of carbon sequestration.

Not only do forests clean the atmosphere, but they also serve as a home for millions of species. As a matter of fact, around 80% of terrestrial animals live in forests. Therefore, forests protect biodiversity, the variety and variability of life on Earth.

A final important function of forests is their ability to cool the atmosphere through transpiration. Transpiration is the process by which water moves through plants and is released into the atmosphere. Trees absorb water through their roots which is then transported to the leaves by a structure called the xylem. The driving force behind transpiration is the difference in water potential; there is high water potential at the bottom of the plant and low water potential at the top. Once the water reaches the top of the plant, it leaves the plant through special cells called stomata. The release of this water into the atmosphere cools the planet and combats our rising temperature levels.

I hope that you have learned something new about the ways in which forests protect the planet and combat climate change.