A Zanzibar red colobus monkey (Procolobus kirkii) native to part of the Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa hotspot.
Today, in an effort to focus the world’s attention on the need to increase the protection of forests — and make sure that their high importance for biodiversity conservation, climate stabilization and economic development is not undervalued — the U.N. launched the International Year of Forests.
Forests cover only 30 percent of our planet’s land area, yet they are home to 80 percent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. They also sustain the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people, who directly depend on healthy forests for income. The trees, flowers, animals and microorganisms found in forests form a complex web of life; their interactions sustain some of our most basic needs, like clean air, healthy soils, medicines, crop pollination and fresh water.
The role of forests in stabilizing the climate must also be increasingly recognized, as emissions resulting from deforestation represent approximately 15 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, and standing forests are superior stores of carbon. In the words of Olivier Langrand, CI’s international policy chief, “Forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate to give room to pastures, agricultural land, mineral exploitation and sprawling urban areas, but by doing so we are destroying our own capacity to survive.”
Deforestation in Madagascar, one of the world’s 10 most threatened forested hotspots.
In addition to their significance to biodiversity and climate stabilization, forests have been increasingly important in the provision of fresh water on a global scale. Over three-quarters of the world’s accessible fresh water comes from forested watersheds and two-thirds of all major cities in developing countries depend on surrounding forests for their supply of clean water.
“During this International Year of Forests, we strongly encourage countries to take a new look at the long-term value of managing and protecting their natural forests, which are globally important assets,” added Langrand. “Healthy forests are an important part of the natural capital and offer us the most cost-effective means of confronting the many environmental challenges of climate change and increased demand for forest products.”
To mark the occasion, CI has compiled a list of the 10 most at-risk forested hotspots around the world. These forests have all lost 90 percent or more of their original habitat, and each harbors at least 1,500 plant species found nowhere else in the world. If these forests are lost, those endemic species also will be lost forever. Close to one billion people who live in or around them rely on the natural resources these forest ecosystems provide. And, ultimately, we all rely on them; these 10 hotspots also store over 25 gigatons of carbon, helping us to cope with the already inevitable effects of climate change.
Here’s our ranking of the world’s 10 most threatened forested hotspots, listed by percentage of remaining original habitat:
| Hotspot | Remaining habitat | |
| 1 | Indo-Burma (southern Asia) | 5% |
| 2 | New Caledonia (Pacific Islands) | 5% |
| 3 | Sundaland (Indonesia/Malaysia) | 7% |
| 4 | Philippines | 7% |
| 5 | Atlantic Forest (South America) | 8% |
| 6 | Mountains of Southwest China | 8% |
| 7 | California Floristic Province (U.S. and Mexico) | 10% |
| 8 | Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa | 10% |
| 9 | Madagascar & Indian Ocean Islands | 10% |
| 10 | Eastern Afromontane (Africa) | 11% |
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Nicaragua should be on then top 10 list!
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Please discuss the book, The Vertical Farm. The rock star, Sting, is on the cover, recommending the book. The Huffingtonpost recommends the book on the back cover. If every city around the world had at least one Vertical Farm, endangered species around the world would have much less habitat loss. Human beings would have healthier food and water, without pesticides, etc. (Your CAPTCHA is difficult to read. You may be losing reader comments, due to this CAPTCHA requirement. Please make it ALL CAPITALS AND EASY TO READ. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.
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It’s necessary to protect all remaining forests around the Globe. The pollution is rising because of increasing energy consumption and that is because of growing population together with higher demand for food. We should start to revaluate our values of life to decide what is more important for us. I believe that we all want at least to breathe fresh air and drink clean water. Save the Planet Earth for our children!
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Do not know the difference between New Zealand and New Caledonia. What a joke. And you expect us to believe the substance of your claim. Stick to telling us that Alaska is in the Antarctic and promoting the rights of gay frogs and other such anomalies and working for the UN.
With the growth of population and continuous urbanization cum industrialisation, there is great pressure on forests and their survival is a challenge. Our ecosystems are in fragile stage and near to end. Forests are the source of biodiversity, Oxygen, Energy trapping, food, fodder and fuel; these are GLOBAL SINK OF CARBON DI-OXIDE. Forests regulate WATER CYCLE. If we will not save forests then our future will collapse. So, SAVE FORESTS, SAVE NATURE and SAVE FUTURE.
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We really think it’s messedup what we do to habbitats and the animals that live in them. People know what their doing to it. Yet they dont do Crap to stop it!!!!! Me and Momo want to help but what can two seven graders do?
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Protecting our forests is a major issue that must be focused on immensely. It’s a good thing that the U.N. is taking action to get people’s attention about this problem and everyone should realize this message. Thanks for the post!
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i like it…
It’s sad the state of our global forests. More articles like these are desperately needed to draw attention to it.
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I am so glad I came across this site. I love this post! You really got me thinking!!
The Post is very interesting i love to read it. You are good blog writer. All the best keep on writing in feature to.
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pictures are very crazy, really nice photography.Keep it up thanks.
Nice blog and great pictures glad to come across this website after reading its title really we are losing our natural resources day by day. Thanks for sharing, keep it up.
Great site. I stumbled upon it by mistake and I love it. Keep up the great work.
GREAT article really nice one!!!
This is some serious problem we are facing in our world. We have lost more then then thousand of sepsis and loosing 100 more every year. we need to conserve what we have or its over for us too. sad 🙁
One of the most common problems that has to be rectified sooner rather than later.
Nice article.!
I am very happy to get information form this site.
Excellent blog post, I was just Googling this topic and found your blog, some pretty amazing stuff you have written here, keep it up.
Awesome and great topic to discuss on today time. keep up the awareness thumbs up.
Its great that in Nepal our government is working very strong to protect wildlife. It all great to preserve forest and save wildlife.
i think we have to really have to organize awareness programme.