International Day of Forests

Forests influence climate in several ways at once. Trees pull carbon dioxide from the air and store it in trunks, roots, leaves, and soils for decades or centuries.

Dense forest canopies also cool the air through shade and by releasing water vapor, which helps moderate local temperatures and keep regional rainfall more stable.

When forests are cleared or degraded, much of that stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere and these regulating effects are lost, which accelerates global warming.  

Forests provide a huge variety of habitats, from the dark, moist forest floor to sunny upper canopies, which support an estimated 80 percent of terrestrial plant and animal species.

Complex structures such as deadwood, understory shrubs, and tree hollows create niches for insects, birds, mammals, fungi, and microorganisms.

When forests are fragmented or removed, many species lose the specialized conditions they require, which can lead to population declines and extinctions.  

Most deforestation is driven by the conversion of forest to other land uses rather than local firewood collection.

Large-scale agriculture for commodities such as cattle, soy, and oil palm is the dominant driver in many tropical regions, followed by commercial logging, mining, infrastructure such as roads and dams, and urban expansion.

These pressures often act together, opening up previously remote forests and making them more vulnerable to further clearance and degradation.  

Many Indigenous Peoples and rural communities rely on forests for food, medicine, building materials, cultural practices, and income.

When forests are cleared or degraded, these communities can lose access to wild foods, clean water, and traditional livelihoods, and may be displaced from ancestral lands.

This can increase poverty and undermine cultural identity, particularly where land rights are weak or not formally recognized.  

Sustainable forest management is an approach that aims to use forests for wood, fiber, and other benefits without reducing their biodiversity, health, or ability to provide ecosystem services over the long term.

It involves keeping harvest levels within the forest’s natural capacity to regrow, protecting water and soil, conserving key wildlife habitats, and respecting the rights and needs of local communities.

Good management is monitored and adjusted over time as forests and climate conditions change.  

Certification programs such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) set standards for responsible forest management and supply chains.

Independent auditors check whether forest owners and companies follow rules on issues like legal harvesting, safeguards for biodiversity, limits on clear-cutting, worker safety, and respect for Indigenous and community rights.

Products that meet these standards can carry a label, which helps buyers identify wood and paper from more responsibly managed forests.  

Tree planting can help restore degraded land, store carbon, and improve soils, but the benefits depend on what is planted, where, and how.

Large monoculture plantations of a single fast-growing tree species can reduce biodiversity and strain water supplies, especially if they replace natural forests or grasslands.

Ecologists generally recommend prioritizing the protection of existing natural forests and restoring native or diverse mixed-species plantings that match local conditions and involve nearby communities in planning and care.