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Forests and woodlands play a key role in maintaining the environment. Forests and woodlands are crucial to the protection and conservation of the soil, and in water cycling. They also help modulate water flows and reduce sedimentation in streams and reservoirs. South Africa’s forests and woodlands contribute significantly to our country’s remarkable range of fauna and flora. Many national parks and eco-tourism ventures use forests and woodlands, e.g. the Kruger National Park is a woodland area.
Loss of forests may lead to more soil erosion and loss of plants, animals and small life forms that need to live in a forest environment. Commercial and natural forests also provide valuable products that we are dependent upon, like timber, paper and medicinal plants. Loss of forests will mean that we will have less of these resources to build our homes, print our books and newspapers, make furniture or have firewood to keep us warm or cook our food.
Trees also help to maintain a favourable climate. Trees consume the carbon dioxide that is responsible for climate change. In return trees produce oxygen. So trees help to clean the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide produced by trees can stay locked up in the wood for many years, depending on how long the tree remains alive and depending on what happens to the wood after the tree dies.
What wood product is used most abundantly worldwide?
60% of all wood harvested from forests and trees are used for fuel. That means that fuel or bio-energy is the most important forest product worldwide. In South Africa more than 9 million people are dependent on firewood for daily domestic use.
Discourage people from destroying living trees
So many people don’t seem to realise the importance and value of trees. One often witnesses that an entire area is cleared of all trees before a new development starts. Sometimes precious trees are simply chopped down because people want to use the space for something else. People sometimes don’t cut down a tree but they do things that will ultimately cause the death of a tree. For example, excavations of deep trenches close to the tree, dumping of debris or chemicals around the stem, or damage of the tree’s bark are all actions that compromise the health of a tree. In many cases there are alternatives. We need to value trees and should consider first what other options we have before destroying them.
You can make a difference by speaking out in disapproval. Make sure that local authorities put measures in place to prevent the loss of valuable trees and communicate the message that trees are important. Do your bit to preserve our environment.
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