Services Provided by the Forest
For thousands of years, the trees of the forest have been providing services that have a real cash value. Here are a few examples:
1. Trees capture atmospheric carbon dioxide and act as
actual carbon wells (six mature trees eliminate 1 ton of CO2 per year. And
1 km3 of a young forest eliminates 4 million tons of CO2 per year);
2. Trees rid the air of pollutants;
3. Trees emit oxygen (on average, each tree produces 118
kg of oxygen per year);
4. Trees improve air quality;
5. Trees protect the soil;
6. Trees prevent erosion;
7. Trees maintain moisture in the ground;
8. Through their roots, trees act as natural filters and
purify water;
9. Trees constitute an important habitat for the preservation
of biodiversity (the diversity of animal life and medicinal plants);
10. Trees contribute to lowering temperature by a few degrees
(heat islands);
11. Trees increase the level of atmospheric moisture by
50%;
12. Trees generate clouds;
13. Trees bring rain;
14. Trees prevent drought, flooding, desertification;
15. Trees contribute to the maintenance of a climatic balance.
The value of the free services provided by nature is estimated at 33,000 billion dollars per year.
