Question

Write about the importance of forests?

Answer 1

Hint: A forest is an area of terrain where trees predominate. Hundreds of different definitions of forest exist around the world, considering characteristics including tree density, tree height, land use, legal status, and ecological function. A forest, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization, is defined as terrain that spans more than 0.5 hectares and has trees taller than 5 metres.

Complete answer:
i) Forests are extremely important to humanity. The following are some examples of the value of forests:
Forests contribute to the earth's water cycle. Through their roots, plants take water from the ground. Through a process called transpiration, plants release excess water into the atmosphere as water vapour. Condensation is the process of water vapour rising from the oceans condensing to form clouds, whereas precipitation is the process of clouds being transferred to land by a sea wind, eventually resulting in rainfall. The water cycle is made up of all of these processes, and trees play a crucial role in its persistence.
ii) Forests help to keep the temperature and oxygen levels in the atmosphere in check. Plants create oxygen while consuming carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. Forests have a vital role in balancing the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere as a large store of plants and trees.
iii) Forests aid in the mitigation of global warming. The greenhouse effect is caused by an increase in carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) in the atmosphere, which causes global warming.
Soil erosion is prevented by forests. Forest trees firmly retain soil particles in place with their roots, preventing them from eroding.
iv) Beyond our limited human – let alone urban – perspective, forests provide habitat for a wide range of animal species. They are home to 80 percent of the world's terrestrial biodiversity and provide livelihood for a variety of human settlements, including 60 million indigenous people.
v) Furthermore, forests are home to 300 million people, including 60 million indigenous people, yet they are disappearing. Between 1990 and 2015, the globe lost 129 million hectares of forest, the equivalent as South Africa. When we clear the forest, we are removing more than simply the trees.
vi) Forests, after oceans, are the world's greatest carbon sinks.

Note: Human society and woodlands have both beneficial and bad effects on each other. Humans benefit from forest ecological services, and they also serve as tourist attractions. Forests can also have a negative impact on people's health. Forest ecosystems can be harmed by human actions, such as the unsustainable exploitation of forest resources.