A forest is much more than just a collection of green-brown shapes that rise into the sky and provide us with shade in summer, but rather an ingenious miracle of nature that, through its complexity, provides living space, serves as a water reservoir and, last but not least, produces the oxygen that is essential for us to live.
The great forests and why they are so worth protecting
There is hardly anyone who remains untouched by the magic of a forest. Especially if it is a largely natural forest and not a forest or commercial forest. In conurbations, it is easy to lose touch with nature, and indeed the great forests of this world are under constant siege - for timber extraction, to expand human settlement space, to exploit mineral resources. Yet large parts of our green planet are still covered by forests, and we should look to keep it that way.
Forests achieve amazing things
Forests exist wherever there is sufficient light and warmth, favourable soil conditions and water. Only less than a third of our planet's land mass is currently forested. Yet trees are the most important reservoirs ofCO2 right after the oceans. Forests store about 2.6 billion tonnes of carbon every year and have a major impact on the carbon dioxide balance of our atmosphere. If the forests disappear, it is not only the climate that suffers. The soil and groundwater balance are also destabilised. The probability of landslides, floods or droughts increases radically.
The great forests of the earth
One of the largest forests in the world is the vast coniferous forest that stretches from northern Norway to Siberia and Alaska. The so-called Euro-Asian boreal forest stretches almost unbroken across three continents and invites you to take the longest forest walk in the world! Equally extensive, but highly endangered, is the South American rainforest on the Amazon. Huge areas are constantly being deforested, although researchers admit that numerous animal and plant species here are either not yet known or have not yet been adequately researched. The Amazon forests in particular could hide natural remedies for numerous diseases that we don't even know about yet.
Another fascinating vast rainforest is in - Canada! The National Park of British Columbia on the west coast of Canada protects the only subtropical rainforest in the world, where it gets quite wet but rarely hot. If you want to see giant trees, you can do so in California's Sequoia National Park, where sequoias over a hundred metres high are strictly protected. And even in the middle of Europe there are large, natural forests such as the Bialowiecza primeval forest. On the border between Poland and Belarus lies one of the largest forests in Europe with an ancient stand of oaks. Even today, the Bialowiecza Forest is home to European bison or wisents and is well worth a visit.
The forest: use - protection - recreation
For humans, animals and the environment, forests are multifunctional treasures. They fulfil essential functions in the three areas of use, protection and recreation. And these are by no means all related to humans and their needs. The benefits of the forest go far beyond industrial timber extraction or mushroom picking during a walk in the forest. In the broadest sense, it also includes the use of the forest, for example, for obtaining seeds for tree propagation, as well as the use of game stocks for high-quality meat, which can be obtained through hunting.
The protective function of forests is indeed amazing - forests filter and conserve water and thus contribute to the preservation of clean groundwater. In addition, trees produce oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. Forests are therefore the "green lungs" of our planet. And they also do an enormous amount to protect species, as they provide a habitat for 80% of the earth's fauna and flora.
And there's not much to say about the recreational function - who doesn't feel refreshed and invigorated after a walk in the forest?
Things to know about the forest
In the German forest alone, there are about 90 different species of trees and shrubs. However, half of the forest's appearance is dominated by conifers, especially pines and spruces. Beech is also well represented with 16%, while "German" oak accounts for only 9%. In addition to trees and shrubs, the forest provides a habitat for over a thousand other plants and is the home of thousands of animal species. The benefits of forests are now undisputed, and accordingly almost half of Germany's forest areas are classified as landscape conservation areas, and over a third are even nature parks. There are particularly strict protection requirements in dedicated nature reserves or biosphere reserves.
Forests in which more than 100 million m³ of wood grow each year in Germany alone are used to produce timber. Not all of this is used immediately, i.e. felled, because increasingly sustainable forestry is subject to the PEFC and FSC seals and ensures the care and preservation of the forest stands.
At NIKIN, we want our forests to be preserved. That is why we plant a tree for every product sold - at over 10 locations worldwide. Of course, we do not plant the same species everywhere, but locally suitable trees that are selected by experts.
