As we know, I am a huge proponent of nature. I love spending time outdoors because it is rejuvenating. Getting in touch with nature gives me a calm that I would not have otherwise. It is because of this that I have learned to have the utmost respect for everything in the outdoors. Whether I am gardening or hiking, I am taking care not to harm the natural world.
Unfortunately, deforestation is a large problem in the world today. For some reason, people have lost track of the importance of natural greenery, for ourselves and our planet. So, I wrote this post as a reminder. Here are 10 reasons why everyone should respect forests.
They Moderate Earth’s Temperature
CO2 is quickly heating up our planet. One of the ways nature combats that is through photosynthesis, the absorption of CO2 to produce oxygen. Forests are a mass army of CO2 combatants, as all trees in them are working to absorb CO2, and therefore helping cool the earth’s temperature.
We Need Oxygen
We breathe in the oxygen that plants produce during photosynthesis. The more deforestation occurs, the less oxygen humans have to breathe. These forests are literally giving us life, and that is to be respected above all else.
Plants Produce Medicine
Natural medicine is a beautiful thing, and a lot of it comes from nature in forests. So, not only are trees keeping us alive with their oxygen, they also help us heal.
Air Purification
Believe it or not, forests are a large part of cleaning up our air supply. They can absorb harmful chemicals in the air besides CO2, therefore preventing us from breathing them in. That is pretty amazing.
We Need Soil to Stay in Place
A large job of a forest is keeping large amounts of soil from shifting around. This prevents disasters like landslides, which more often than not result in many casualties.
They Give us Water
Extraneous water is caught and absorbed by trees. When the trees cannot absorb any more moisture, they put excess water in the ground, refilling our groundwater supply.
They are Home to Animals
Much of the earth’s biodiversity resides within forests. These trees hold countless numbers of species, and when we cut them down, we are cutting down the homes of many.
They are Home to People
It’s true – there are humans who still live in forests. Indigenous people still reside within the cover of these trees, and use forests as a source for their food and water supplies. Forests need to be respected as homes by all, not just by the ones living in them.
Trees Supply us with Resources
Think about it! Trees give us paper, timber, honey, and many other resources that we humans take for granted. If we respect the forests, these raw materials will stay in our lives.
