Forest destruction produces about one fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than that emitted from all the cars, planes, and trains in the world.
Three of our closest relatives, the gorilla, chimpanzee and bonobo all depend on the Congo rainforest for their survival. Of exceptional ecological importance, the forest is home to 270 species of mammals, of which 39 are unique to the region.
While much of the Amazon rainforest falls within the borders of Brazil, it also reaches into regions of Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Suriname, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
The Last Ancient Forests of Europe combine Europe's few remaining tracts of ancient forest in Scandinavia with the adjoining forest of European Russia (from the western flanks of the Ural mountains). These boreal forests represent Europe's last remaining intact ancient forest.
The Ancient Forests of North America are extremely diverse. They include the boreal forest belt stretching between Newfoundland and Alaska, the coastal temperate rainforest of Alaska and Western Canada, and the myriad of residual pockets of temperate forest surviving in more remote regions.
The Temperate Jungle of South America, which covers regions of Southern Chile and Argentina, represents the largest tract of essentially undisturbed temperate forest in the world.
Few can dispute the irreplaceable damage caused to forests from illegal and destructive logging around the world, but what can be done to effectively address the problem and reverse the increasing trend of ancient forest destruction?
