Currently, the very active pace of development of economic activity on a global scale has led to a significant reduction in natural wealth. Land and forest resources of the world are subjected to severe exploitation in connection with the ever-growing population of the planet.
The vegetation of the Earth can be divided into two large categories: wild-growing and cultural flora. Currently, out of six thousand species counted, emphasis should be placed on widespread varieties. In total, there are 15-20 such crops, such as rice, wheat, corn, soy and others. Forest resources of the world represent a significant part of the wild category of the Earth's flora. Like many other types of natural funds, these are exhaustible sources that can nevertheless be restored. This type of natural reserves is used for many different purposes and for performing various tasks.
Forest resources of the world are traditionally characterized by three main indicators, including forest cover, the size of the occupied area, as well as standing timber. However, despite the fact that there is an annual increase in each of the indicators, several problems should be noted.
Since ancient times, forest resources of the world have been used for the construction and arrangement of dwellings of both ancient and modern people. Currently, almost half of the harvested wood goes for the above purposes. At the same time, technological progress does not detract from the attractiveness of natural textures. Designers and architects all over the world successfully use similar materials in their projects. However, despite various measures to preserve natural resources, consumption far exceeds supply, and this leads to the fact that the world's forest resources are gradually reduced.
In addition, since ancient times, there has been an active development of agriculture. In turn, this also caused the deforestation of the planet. It is estimated that annual forest area is reduced by about 0.5 percent. This means that even the existing increase in forest cover and other indicators described above cannot cover all the needs of mankind.
But it is precisely the forest mass, as well as the swamps, that are the "lungs" of the planet. This means that they are responsible for replenishing oxygen in the atmosphere. It should be noted that the reduction of forests also leads to the destruction and erosion of soil cover, which worsens agriculture.
Forest resources of the world. Forest area distribution table
| Region | Area, million ha |
| World | 4170 |
| Europe | 200 |
| Asia | 530 |
| North America | 850 |
| South America | 850 |
| Africa | 740 |
| Australia and Oceania | 200 |
Analyzing this table, it can be noted that the world's forest resources form two main regions, called belts: southern and northern. At the same time, timber stocks are distributed approximately equally. The southern zone is located in a tropical and equatorial climate, while the northern one covers a temperate and subtropical climatic zone.