Forest protection as a climate protection strategy

Forest protection as a climate protection strategy

The protection of forests has been the focus of numerous environmental campaigns for decades. The reasons for this are diverse- forests serve as a home for numerous animal and plant species, they contribute to air and water quality and play a crucial role in the earth's carbon cycle. In particular, this latter function is increasingly coming to the fore in the course of discussions about climate change and the corresponding protection strategies. This makes forest protection a key strategy in the area of ​​climate protection.

Forests as carbon stores

Basics of the carbon cycle

To understand why forests are so important in the context of climate protection, it is worth taking a look at the global carbon cycle. This describes the processes in which carbon circulates in different forms between the atmosphere, the biosphere and the earth's geological reservoirs.

Animals and people breathe out carbon dioxide (CO2), while plants and especially trees absorb this CO2 during photosynthesis and convert it into oxygen. In doing so, they bind the carbon and store it in their biomass.

The role of forests

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), forests contain about 45% of terrestrial carbon, making them one of the Earth's most important carbon stores. This is partly because trees can store large amounts of carbon in their biomass, but also because they have a particularly long lifespan. This allows the stored carbon to be kept out of the atmosphere over a long period of time.

But that also means: If forests are destroyed, this carbon is released again. According to the Rainforest Foundation organization, the contribution of the deforestation to global greenhouse gas emissions is about 10-15%, which corresponds to the entire global traffic sector.

Forest protection as a climate protection strategy

Against the background above it becomes clear why forest protection plays such an important role in the climate protection strategy.

Avoidance of CO2 emissions

The protection of forests can help reduce the emission of CO2. If a forest is cleared, not only the ongoing process of CO2 bond is stopped, but also the carbon stored in the trees and in the ground is released into the atmosphere as CO2.

Restoration of forests

But the protection of existing forests is only one side of the medal. Another important strategy is the restoration of forests, i.e. the reforestation of once forested but now degraded areas. This increases the CO2 recording capacity and the carbon store of the earth can be enlarged.

Climate and biodiversity services

The protection and restoration of forests also offer other ecological services. They offer habitats for numerous animal and plant species, contribute to the soil quality and the water cycle and reduce the effects of environmental disasters such as floods or landslides.

Challenges and solutions

Despite the clear benefits, forest conservation measures face numerous challenges.

Conflicts of interest

Trees are an important resource for wood and other products, which often leads to conflicts between economic interests and the protection of the forests. Solution approaches in this regard can be the promotion of sustainable forestry and the implementation of regulations that prevent forests.

Financing and execution

The implementation of forest protection measures requires financial resources and organizational resources. It is therefore important to find suitable financing models and promote international cooperation.

Lack of awareness

Another challenge is the often lack of awareness of the importance of forests in climate protection. Education and education can therefore make important contributions to forest protection.

Conclusion

The protection and restoration of forests offer enormous potential in the fight against climate change. You can make a crucial contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, serve as an important carbon storage and offer numerous other ecological services. However, the challenges on the way there are great and require coordinated action and deeper awareness of the topic. Forest protection is not just climate protection - it is a holistic strategy for the preservation of our earth.