Forest

In the simplest terms, forests are areas of land covered with trees and undergrowth. However, while it is true that forest landscapes are dominated by trees, in reality these ecosystems are far more complex than they may first appear, supporting a whole host of different species and playing an important part in human livelihoods.

Interestingly, forests occupy one third of the Earth’s land area, yet incredibly house around 80 percent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, from birds and mammals to amphibians and invertebrates. There are many different types of forest around the world, with temperature, rainfall a which type will grow in a particular area and soil composition all determining

Ancient wood pasture with old oaks and beeches in the mist, Romania

Forest facts

·         About one third of the world’s land area is covered by forest.

·         Forests are home to 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity.

·         Rain forests are responsible for the production of over 40% of the world’s oxygen.

·         Around 1.6 billion people around the globe depend on forests for their livelihoods.

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The giant sequoia tree of North America is considered to be the tallest living thing on the planet, growing to incredible heights of 95 meters.