The world’s forests are ecological miracles – they must not be
allowed to vanish. A special report in the economist highlights
the varied ways we all depend on forest ecosystems and calls for
governments to prize forests more highly than they do now. The
reports’ author James Astill outlines the many ways that these
ecological miracles are needed. Forests emit oxygen through
photosynthesis – a fact known since 1774 when a British chemist
found a mouse trapped inside a jar with a plant. Through the
same process they also store carbon. Until the 1960′s
deforestation accounted for most historic man-made carbon
emissions. This contribution is still large and accounts for
more than the carbon emmissions from the world’s transport.
Recent evidence also points to a process known as carbon
fertilisation, where old-growth forests are using the now
carbon-heavy atmosphere to suck up even more carbon than
previously. Worldwide, forests and their soils absorb around 25%
of all carbon emissions. Of course, forests also ho