Forests have a number of key functions in the Earth’s biosphere. As an ecosystem, they are home to an important part of the living organisms on this planet; loss of forest means loss of plant and animal biodiversity. Forests play a key role in the water cycle controlling quantity and quality of water. They are carbon sinks, and growing forests capture carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, releasing oxygen to the air. Another key function of forests is climate regulation: forests can reduce the day temperature in hot climates by several degrees, and bring moisture in the air that can produce rainfall elsewhere. And finally, forests are a resource for mankind in multiple ways: forests are a source of timber, wood, fruits, leisure, shade, and tourism, to name just a few.

The massive loss of forests in Brazil, Russia and Australia due to fires have added considerable quantities of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, and reduced the capacity to capture carbon for several years. Scientists are concerned that global warming will further affect forests due to droughts, wildfires and competition with the increasing need of farmland