Data from NASA shows that forests cover nearly a third of the world’s landmass, and they play an incredibly important role in the wider environment. For example, forests:

• Remove carbon dioxide from the air
• Prevent erosion
• Protect against floods
• Encourage biodiversity
• Provide timber and other related resources (e.g., mushrooms, maple syrup, usable barks, berries)

Unfortunately, developing nations too often resort to practices such as slash-and-burn clearing and failing to care for the soil afterward, which perpetuates a vicious cycle requiring the clearing of yet more trees.