FOREST MAKE LIFE POSSIBLE
The world has lost nearly half its forests for agriculture, development or resource extraction. Yet the value of the benefits that standing forests is immense: Tropical forests alone account for at least 30 percent of the global mitigation action needed to halt climate change. Yet this value remains largely invisible.
A forest is a large area dominated by trees. Hundreds of more precise definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing and ecological function. According to the widely used, Food and Agriculture Organization definition, forests covered 4 billion hectares or approximately 30 percent of the world's land area in 2006.
Forests are the dominant terrestrial ecosystem of Earth, and are distributed around the globe. Forests account for 75% of the gross primary production of the Earth's biosphere, and contain 80% of the Earth's plant biomass. Net primary production is estimated at 21.9 gigatonnes carbon per year for tropical forests, 8.1 for temperate forests, and 2.6 for boreal forests.
Forests at different latitudes and elevations form distinctly
different ecozones: boreal forests around the poles, tropical forests around the Equator and temperate forests at the middle latitudes. Higher elevation areas tend to support forests similar to those at higher latitudes, and amount of precipitation also affects forest composition.
Human society and forests influence each
Conservation international strives to protect tropical forests around the world, working directly with the communities who live in, and depend on, these forests. Through science, policy and partnerships, we work to show that forests are worth more standing than cut down.
Conservation international uses a science-based approach to prioritize the most important forests and the benefits they provide; to quantify the value of those benefits for decision-makers; to protect them sustainably for the long term; and to monitor their ongoing protection and health.
Knowing the economic value of the benefits that forests provide can make forests' contribution to livelihoods and economies visible, enabling smarter decisions. Conservation international has developed innovative ways to quantity the value of forests so that countries and companies can measure their impact and reliance on forests.
Around the world, conservation international monitors forests to both ensure their health and to ensure the long-term success of our work. Monitoring serves as an early-warning system for destructive trends and helps us target conservation efforts.
A forest is a large area dominated by trees. Hundreds of more precise definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing and ecological function. According to the widely used, Food and Agriculture Organization definition, forests covered 4 billion hectares or approximately 30 percent of the world's land area in 2006.
Forests are the dominant terrestrial ecosystem of Earth, and are distributed around the globe. Forests account for 75% of the gross primary production of the Earth's biosphere, and contain 80% of the Earth's plant biomass. Net primary production is estimated at 21.9 gigatonnes carbon per year for tropical forests, 8.1 for temperate forests, and 2.6 for boreal forests.
Forests at different latitudes and elevations form distinctly
different ecozones: boreal forests around the poles, tropical forests around the Equator and temperate forests at the middle latitudes. Higher elevation areas tend to support forests similar to those at higher latitudes, and amount of precipitation also affects forest composition.
Human society and forests influence each
Conservation international strives to protect tropical forests around the world, working directly with the communities who live in, and depend on, these forests. Through science, policy and partnerships, we work to show that forests are worth more standing than cut down.
Conservation international uses a science-based approach to prioritize the most important forests and the benefits they provide; to quantify the value of those benefits for decision-makers; to protect them sustainably for the long term; and to monitor their ongoing protection and health.
Knowing the economic value of the benefits that forests provide can make forests' contribution to livelihoods and economies visible, enabling smarter decisions. Conservation international has developed innovative ways to quantity the value of forests so that countries and companies can measure their impact and reliance on forests.
Around the world, conservation international monitors forests to both ensure their health and to ensure the long-term success of our work. Monitoring serves as an early-warning system for destructive trends and helps us target conservation efforts.
