Forests play a vital role in maintaining a sound environment, thanks to the fact that they contain the most extensive animal and plant diversity. Better still, forests have billions of trees that are particularly essential for absorbing carbon dioxide, thus helping to address the contemporary challenge of climate change.
Forests cover about 30% of the landmass on earth. However, most of the forest sites face various challenges that threaten their very existence. As such, we should all support the conservation of the world’s forest. We have outlined some of the important forests in the world.
The Expansive Amazon Rainforest
The massive rainforest lies on a territory stretching across nine nations. It is the world’s largest rainforest since it represents over half of the rainforests in the world. Approximately 70% of the rainforest covers the Brazilian territory, although there is a significant part of the forest in Peru. Initially, the forest spread on a total area of approximately 7 million sq. Km (2.7 million sq mile).
Nonetheless, the forest is today estimated to cover an area of about 5.5 million sq. Km (2.12 sq. miles), thanks to heavy logging that has diminished the forest cover in the previous decades. The Amazon Rainforest is considered critical since it hosts valuable freshwater resources alongside a wealth of diversity. Moreover, the rainforest plays a vital role in global biodiversity. Still, the forest is a carbon sink and hence offers essential ecological services.
The biodiversity of Congo Forest
As the world’s 2nd most extensive tropical forest, the Congo Forest forms a quarter of the earth’s remaining tropical forests. It covers an estimated area of 1.9 million sq. Kms (734,000 sq. miles). The Congo Forest is essential for a myriad of reasons. First, it houses 10,000 plant species, hundreds of mammals, and over 1,000 bird species. Secondly, the vast tropical forest is home to the world’s largest ape species, namely the Bonobo, gorilla, and chimpanzee. Besides playing a vital role in global diversity, the forest is home to over 24 million people who live within the forest area. Most of these people depend entirely on it for their livelihood.
The Coniferous East-Siberian Taiga
Located in East-Siberia, this vast coniferous forest stretches across a land area of about 4 million km sq. The forest is remarkably essential owing to its diversity of flora and fauna. The forest isn’t just the largest forest reserve in Europe, but also the 5th largest forest reserve worldwide. Furthermore, it hosts thousands of plant and animal species, most of which can only be seen here (endemic). It is also the only forest that stretches between tundra in the North and a group of temperate forests in the south.
The Scandinavian & Russian Taiga, a multipurpose forest complex
The forest is ranked as Europe’s largest eco-region, covering approximately 2 million sq. Kilometers (772,000 sq. miles). It spreads across Norway, Sweden, western Russia, and Finland. The forest covers roughly a third of the European continent. It is crucial as a global ecological spot, thanks to the fact that it absorbs massive carbon dioxide emissions. The forest is specifically vital because it offers an extraordinary nesting habitat for thousands of bird species. It is also a haven for mining, tourism, and fossil fuel exploration.
The Sinharaja Forest, a World Heritage Site
The Sinharaja forest is the largest in Sri Lanka, with an area of 88 Km2 (34 miles2). It is also the country’s only remaining tropical rainforest. The forest is a significant part of Sri Lanka and the universe at large. Marjory because of its extraordinary biodiversity as it houses several species of endangered wildlife. It contains over half of Sri Lanka’s endemic mammals and butterflies. In 1988, UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage site thanks to its valuable, rich ecosystems and diverse living heritage. The forest boasts over 154 bird species that have been known to coexist in feeding flocks.
The Picturesque Mindo-Nambillo Forest
The sprawling, beautiful tropical forest is situated in Ecuador. It is one of Latin America’s most important ecological sites. Moreover, it is an incredible tourist attraction that keeps millions of travelers coming to Ecuador. The present-day tropical forest is a remarkably beautiful private reserve, which houses countless plants, birds, and mammal species. It is a treasure to behold, courtesy of the more than 450 bird species that live in the forest. It further houses a wide array of orchids.
The Avatar-inspiring Daintree Forest
Daintree forest is the world’s oldest rainforest, and it forms an integral part of the Australian treasure. The rainforest is a remarkable conservation center for birds, plants, and other mammals. For example, it houses the largest concentration of saltwater crocodiles in the universe. It has the highest number of threatened animals and plant species. The 1200 Km2 (463 square miles) rainforest was used as an inspiration for ‘Avatar’- one of the world’s best-selling movies.
The Pristine Xishuangbanna Rainforest
Located in China, this beautiful tropical rainforest is one of Asia’s biggest and most important forests. It is the world’s only living museum of flora and fauna. The 2500 Km2 (967 square miles) forest is also a center for ecosystem research for the Chinese government. It has the most significant number of endangered plants and animal species in Asia. The forest is further home to multiple primitive villages that allows humans to coexist with wildlife.
Sundarbans, a Vital Mangrove Forest in Asia
The mangrove rainforest is located along with the coastal parts of the mighty Bay of Bengal. Due to its unmatched biodiversity, the forest has become highly significant as a conservation area. It has the widest variety of mangroves than any mangrove rainforest in the world. The forest is a crucial natural wildlife spot. It has vast numbers of water monitor lizards and Bengal tigers, not to mention a variety of endangered species living in the mangrove rainforest.
The Endemic Valdivian Rainforest
Located in South America, the 250,000 Km2 (95,800 square miles) temperate rainforest is South America’s only rainforest. It houses the Andean Mountains, which add plenty of biodiversity to it. The forest is one of the world’s most important forests since it houses several fascinating creatures like the Kodkod and the southern Pudu. Its vegetation comprises a variety of rare trees, such as the endangered Monkey Puzzle Tree. Approximately half of the woody species in the forest are endemic to the region
Forests remain crucial systems that support our lives. On the surface, forests appear similar as they encompass a group of trees. However, each forest has its unique composition of plants, animals, and microorganisms. Some important forests in the world are facing threats ranging from human encroachment to deforestation. Others like Borneo and New Guinea forests face a challenge from palm oil production. We must act to conserve the important forests of the world.
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David Okul is an environmental management professional with over 10 years experience on donor projects, conservation, forestry, ecotourism, and community-based natural resources management. When not working on active environmental management projects, I spend my time writing for Silvica on a variety of topics.
