Who’s looking out for tree populations and forest ecosystems?
Forests are both an important part of the global ecosystem and an important resource of raw materials for lumber, paper, and fuelwood. Forests produce oxygen, filter rain- and groundwater, and provide habitats for many plant and animal species. Foresters manage these properties to ensure that forests continue to play these important roles, while also planning for the harvest and regeneration of trees. Trees are harvested not only to provide the materials for wood and pulp products, but also to create space for younger forest habitats (which support different species from older forests), and also to thin tightly spaced trees that create a significant fire risk. Foresters determine which areas will be harvested, which will be replanted, and which will be protected.
