Forests: Where Life Begins and Thrives

How the world’s forests sustain life, shape climates, and inspire action.

Author

Philip Saparov
January 31, 2025

In partnership with

Greetings, custodian of Earth’s vitality!

Today, we’re venturing into the incredible world of forests—our planet’s green lungs. These ecosystems aren’t just there to look pretty or host wildlife; they play an essential role in stabilizing our planet. Forests regulate the climate, clean the air we breathe, support biodiversity, and even shape local weather patterns.

Yet, the story of forests today is one of both struggle and hope. While they face mounting challenges from human activity and climate change, countless people and projects are working to secure their future.

Let’s explore why forests matter and how their fate is tied to ours.

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The Amazon is often called the “lungs of the Earth”—it is claimed to produce 20% of the world’s oxygen and absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide. Spanning nine countries, it’s home to an astonishing 10% of all known species, including jaguars, toucans, and poison dart frogs.

Unfortunately, the Amazon is under constant threat. Deforestation rates surged by 50% in 2023 alone, largely driven by agriculture and illegal logging. Vast stretches of this critical rainforest are being cleared to make way for cattle ranching and soybean farming.

But there’s reason for optimism: Brazil’s ambitious “Amazon Fund” aims to replant 1 billion trees by 2030, with support from international partners and local communities. Efforts like these show that recovery is possible with global collaboration.

Did you know? The Amazon River discharges enough water daily to fill over 83 million Olympic swimming pools—a flow so powerful it influences weather patterns as far away as Europe.

Spanning across Canada, Russia, and Scandinavia, boreal forests are the unsung heroes of carbon storage, holding twice as much carbon as tropical rainforests. Covering a third of all forested land on Earth, they also host unique wildlife like moose, lynx, and snowy owls.

Yet, these forests are hit hard. In Canada, wildfires in 2024 burned over 5 million hectares, releasing record amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Rising temperatures also threaten permafrost beneath these forests, potentially releasing even more greenhouse gases.

Efforts to protect boreal forests are increasingly turning to Indigenous leadership. Many Indigenous communities have successfully managed these ecosystems for centuries, and their knowledge is being incorporated into wildfire prevention and reforestation plans.

Fascinating fact: Boreal forests aren’t just carbon giants—they also hold 70% of the world’s freshwater, stored in their countless lakes, rivers, and wetlands.

The Congo Basin is often overshadowed by the Amazon, but it’s just as vital. This vast rainforest absorbs 1.2 billion tons of CO2 annually, stabilizing the global climate. It’s also a lifeline for over 75 million people who depend on its resources for food, medicine, and shelter.

But this emerald jewel is at risk. Logging, mining, and agriculture are steadily chipping away at its rich biodiversity, which includes gorillas, forest elephants, and bonobos. Despite these challenges, initiatives like the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) are showing promise by balancing economic growth with conservation.

Little-known fact: The Congo Basin contains peatlands that store roughly 30 billion tons of carbon—equivalent to three years of global fossil fuel emissions.

Southeast Asia’s rainforests, found in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, are some of the most biodiverse on the planet. They’re home to iconic species like orangutans, Sumatran tigers, and clouded leopards. These forests also play a huge role in controlling monsoons and mitigating floods.

However, they’re disappearing at an alarming rate due to palm oil plantations and logging. Millions of hectares have been cleared, endangering wildlife and releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere.

On the bright side, sustainable certification programs for palm oil are gaining traction, and governments are working to restore critical peatlands.

Did you know? Mangroves, found in abundance here, protect coastlines from storms and can store up to 10 times more carbon per hectare than tropical forests.

While smaller than the tropical and boreal giants, Europe’s forests are rich in history and biodiversity. They cover about 33% of the continent and are vital for sustainable timber, bioenergy, and carbon storage. Countries like Finland and Sweden are leading the way in balancing commercial forestry with conservation.

Rewilding is also gaining momentum across Europe. Projects like the reintroduction of bison to Eastern Europe aim to restore ecosystems and improve biodiversity. However, old-growth forests like Białowieża in Poland face conflicts over logging and preservation.

Fascinating insight: Trees in Europe are growing taller and faster due to longer growing seasons caused by climate change. In some areas, oaks are growing up to 20% quicker than they did a century ago.

Australia’s forests may not be as vast, but they’re full of unique species and ecosystems. Eucalyptus trees dominate these landscapes, providing food and shelter for koalas. These forests also play a key role in producing rain and storing carbon.

However, bushfires have been devastating. The 2020-21 fire season burned 19 million hectares of land, destroying habitats and releasing massive amounts of CO2. Recovery is slow, but Indigenous-led fire management practices are making a difference, using controlled burns to reduce fuel loads and restore balance.

Amazing tidbit: The Wollemi Pine, known as the “dinosaur tree,” was thought extinct until a few dozen were rediscovered in a hidden canyon in 1994.

Forests aren’t just out in the wilderness—they’re moving into cities. Urban forests, like Singapore’s lush streets or New York City’s Million Trees initiative, are proving that trees belong in concrete jungles. These green spaces help cool cities, clean the air, and even reduce stress.

Innovations like vertical forests, rooftop gardens, and tree-lined streets are becoming staples of urban planning. As city populations grow, urban trees are more important than ever for creating sustainable and livable spaces.

Interesting stat: Trees in U.S. cities remove enough pollution annually to save $18.3 billion in healthcare and energy costs.

Forests are more than just ecosystems—they’re lifelines. From the Amazon to your local city park, every tree plays a part in keeping our planet livable. Protecting them isn’t just an environmental effort; it’s an investment in our collective future.

Let’s keep exploring, learning, and doing our part to protect these green wonders.

Warm regards,

Shane Fulmer