Forest Biodiversity
Biodiversity describes the variability among living organisms and the ecosystems of which they are part. Three conceptual levels of biodiversity are recognized - ecosystem, species and genetic. Forests are the most diverse ecosystems on land, because they hold the vast majority of the world's terrestrial species, providing a habitat for a multitude of flora and fauna. Forest biodiversity is a broad term that refers to all life forms found within forested areas and the ecological roles they perform. Forest biodiversity encompasses not just trees, but the multitude of plants, animals and micro-organisms that inhabit forest areas and their associated genetic diversity. The complexity and rich diversity of life found in forests provides many vital services to human beings. Forests unfold an exceptionally large ecosystem volume and expose a vast biotic surface, providing crucial ecosystem functions and services, including carbon sequestration and regional climate regulation. Thus, Healthy forest ecosystems are ecological life-support systems. Many of the human activities that modify or destroy natural forest ecosystems may cause deterioration of ecological services. Thus, sustainable management of forestry is need to manage the ecological goods and services provided by forests for future human needs. The scientific study of forest species and their interaction with the environment is referred to as forest ecology, while the management of forests is often referred to as forestry. Forest management (now referred to as Sustainable forest management) is a branch of forestry concerned with the overall administrative, economic, legal and social aspects and with the essentially scientific and technical aspects, especially silviculture, protection, and forest regulation.