There’s absolutely nothing like traveling to a forest and inhaling a large breath of air. You feel as though you’re one with nature itself; a small part of a truly incomprehensible and infinitesimal ecosystem! Loving nature comes naturally to humans, because nature is vital to life on Earth. Forests in particular are extremely important because they help to refine and purify oxygen, prevent erosion on the Earth’s surface and act as a way to slow down the rapid onset of climate change. Read below to learn some very interesting forest wall art facts.
Size
We’re sure you know that individual forests are large in size, but did you know just how gargantuan they are when all of them are totaled? Forest compose nearly 30% of the Earth’s surface, despite the rapid deforestation happening across the glove. Forests cover around 16 million square miles of land on Earth. The countries with the most landmass dedicated solely to forests are, in order, Russia, Brazil, Canada, the United States, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Read below for more forest wall art facts!
Biodiversity
“Biodiversity” is defined as “the variety of life on Earth, in all its forms and all its interactions”. That sounds vague, doesn’t it? Essentially biodiversity refers to the different kinds of living species on Earth, including human, animal and plant life. Did you know that forests have the highest degree of biodiversity out of any biome on the planet? Forests house more than half of the world’s recorded animal and plant species! Essentially, forests contain all kinds of living creatures that live in harmony and are effected by the actions or physical qualities of one another. The Amazon rainforest, specifically the area that joins the rainforest with the Andes mountains, is has the highest degree of biodiversity in the world. Read below for the next forest wall art fact.
Carbon Protection
Forests are important because of the impact they have on climate change. To explain in detail, we must first understand what trees do. Large trees store carbon. Carbon is a natural gas, that when release in large quantities, works to degrade the Earth’s atmosphere. When the Earth’s atmosphere breaks down, Earth is susceptible to climate change. Trees act as a “cage” for carbon, which means that forests are some of the most important places on Earth. Rapidly cutting down forests both depletes the amount of “carbon cages” and releases mass amounts of carbon into the atmosphere! This is why protecting forests is so important! Read below for more forest wall art facts.
Deforestation
Deforestation is the destruction of forests. Unfortunately, the prime cause of deforestation is human activity. Humans are responsible for deforestation within the United States due to cutting down trees for agriculture and livestock needs, logging, and intentional fire-settings. Tropical rainforests, like those found in South America, are also being destroyed at a rapid pace due to companies that specialize in farming, ranching and palm oil production. Russia, Canada and Brazil have the highest rates of deforestation in the world. Read below for more forest wall art facts.
Safekeeping
Forests have existed for longer than humans have. Therefore, it’s only natural that the oldest communities understand the forest the most. Research has shown that many of the world’s most protected forests (those that have experienced none to little deforestation) are inhabited by indigenous peoples of those regions. Indigenous societies live off the land for sustenance, which means they understand how important the forest is in terms of being a continued resource of food, water and shelter. Did you enjoy these forest wall art facts?
Conclusion
The importance of forest can not be understated. They provide us with protection from climate change, mass amounts of plant and animal species, and resources for sustenance. Preventing deforestation and promoting the safekeeping of forests becomes more important year after year. We hope you’ve found these forest wall art facts helpful in understanding the important role that forests play in our lives.