Razgovor:Šumarstvo

The key role of the forest

The forest is one of our most valuable natural resources – it is a source of raw materials for timber and paper products, and of energy; it has a biological diversity matched by few other biotopes; it provides an aesthetically pleasing environment for recreation and it binds more than 1,000 billion tonnes of carbon. The fact that growing forests absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into carbohydrates by means of the process known as photosynthesis is extremely important in our efforts to combat the greenhouse effect. Emissions of carbon dioxide from industry, society and transport have increased its concentration in the atmosphere. The world’s forests have the unique ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it – both in the growing forest and in the timber and paper products that come from the forest. The more the forest grows and the more we use products from the forest, the better it is for the climate. Forests and the forest industry will therefore be an important part of the solution to the climate change.