Forests quite commonly have been referred to simply as a collection of trees by a number of individuals all round the globe, yet their roles sway beyond merely being wild wood and leaves grouped together. Indeed, forests are among the most complex ecosystems in the world, exhibiting extensive vertical stratification; essential for supporting critical life forms within; in canopies, undergrowth to the microbial life at the bottom floor of the forests. Ranging from the highest to lowest plants, largest beasts to the smallest microbes; all have found and adapted to their specific niches within the forest ecosystem, thereby contributing to the complexity of interaction within this habitat.
Forests have, for centuries, had historical and cultural attachments to quite a number of adjacent communities which inhabit them. The variety of cultural values and symbolic functions ascribed to forests are as numerous and diverse as the number of forest communities and cultures all around the globe. Physically and mystically, forests have defined the environment of communities throughout time, influencing how each community interacts with the forest resources primarily to access and use them. Various communities have been identified to have spiritual affiliations and beliefs towards forests; or particular tree species within these various forests The Bioko forest community of Equatorial Guinea presents a small ethnic Bantu group of people, whose livelihoods have long been reliant on hunting from the adjacent forest of Rio Muni. This case considerably has been a positively influential factor underlying conservation of the forest’s resources.
Forests and trees have a profound role of supporting food security and nutrition in a number of ways. Species richness of fruits, vegetables, bush meat, insects and many more; as components of the forest ecosystem contribute significantly to the diversity and nutritional quality of diets of people living in heterogeneous landscapes.
Woodfuel is commonly used by major rural communities around the globe. Quite evidently, these resources are abundantly obtained from forests. Forests and trees provide fuelwood, an essential and often overlooked component of the food systems in rural areas across the globe.
The economic derivative from forests does not exclude the invaluable contributions to the income of people living in and around them, often providing the major means of accessing the cash economy. Forest communities have been known to thrive by livelihood activities inclusive of hunting, fruit gathering, collection of timber and wood, fishing within network rivers, streams and catchment areas. In a bid to ensure a more sustainable and socio-economic approach to forest resource utilisation, Payment for Ecosystem Services takes into account a quantification and qualification measure of ecosystem services of forests as a means of enhancing forestry financial mechanisms.
Forests also sustain resilience: forest products are often consumed more frequently in times of food scarcity and can provide livelihood safety nets. When they reach markets, forest and tree products can contribute to the nutrition-sensitivity of global food systems. Approximately 53% of the fruit available for consumption globally is produced by trees, especially when market chains are supported and developed in a nutrition-sensitive manner.
Biodiversity, forests and trees outside forests do provide an array of ecosystem services essential for the sustainability and nutrition-sensitivity of agricultural systems (e.g. pollination, water provisioning, genetic resources)
This blog was written and submitted by Y4N Global Ambassador and Education Taskforce Lead, Aiita Joshua Apamaku.