All life is intricately connected and exists within delicately intertwined systems. Once we accept this reality, it is no surprise that the health of our planet has a significant impact on human well-being. When the earth struggles, the creatures living on it also struggle, but uplifting the earth also enriches us. As these interesting insights reveal, forest restoration impacts human health in a variety of beneficial ways.
What is reforestation?
Forest restoration involves a variety of activities. Generally speaking, it refers to restoring forests to a healthy state. This may include maintaining tree diversity, managing invasive species, and pruning and removing undergrowth that competes with trees through controlled burning and selective logging.
Why are forests the lungs of the earth?
People describe forests as the lungs of the earth because of their ability to absorb carbon dioxide and release fresh oxygen. Currently, the world’s forests sequester about 25% of annual human carbon emissions, but a delicate balance exists.
For example, increased carbon dioxide levels accelerate plant growth, but such changes require comparable actions by forest management. Increased drought could lead to conditions like those that caused Canada’s historic 2023 wildfire season, resulting in significant environmental damage. Forest restoration is essential to respond to change and make wise management decisions to maintain the balance of life.
Restoration and reforestation
Reforestation is slightly different from reforestation. This process involves returning previously cleared land to forest, which is essential to the overall health of our planet. Several countries, including Denmark, China, Bhutan, and Brazil, have launched such programs and are seeing impressive gains. China, for example, has found that such efforts not only sequester carbon but also improve soil quality.
However, forest restoration and reforestation have common elements and practices. Restoration forestry combines practices such as afforestation (planting new trees) with controlled burns and selective logging. Such technologies are expected to increase the proportion of the planet covered by forests while minimizing environmental damage from wildfires caused by accelerated undergrowth expansion.
Benefits of reforestation for human health
Forest restoration has many benefits for human health. By supporting initiatives like this and caring for the world’s forests, people can:
1. Improves air quality and reduces symptoms of respiratory diseases
Humans breathe in oxygen and release carbon dioxide, but trees in forests absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. A recent study of more than 35,000 European children showed that children who were closer to green spaces had improved lung function. As distance from green spaces increased, so did the risk of respiratory illness.
It is often better to breathe air outdoors than indoors, as dust and mold can linger in the HVAC system and cause respiratory allergies in sensitive people. Dense roadside vegetation can also reduce downwind pollutants by 30%, and the inclusion of forested areas between industrial parks and human settlements benefits the planet and human health.
2. Reduces risk of cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease remains the number one killer of men and women worldwide. Forest restoration not only improves air quality, but also benefits human cardiovascular health in a number of ways.
For example, just being outside will make you move more often. According to the WHO, 1.8 billion adults currently do not get enough physical activity to protect their health and increase their risk of disease. Being in the woods also reduces stress, and people who are under too much pressure are 2.5 times more likely to have a heart attack.
3. Increase immunity
Is a walk in the woods beneficial this cold and flu season? It might be. Research on forest bathing has shown that plants release chemicals called phytoncides. These substances increase human immunity when inhaled.
Follow-up studies on the effects of phytoncide have confirmed its effectiveness in increasing immunity. Researchers are currently working on synthesizing drugs from certain phytoncides, but you can get the same perks for free by hiking.
4. Lower temperatures and mitigate climate change
As climate change progresses, the problem of extreme heat becomes even more serious. The most vulnerable people are often affected, those who cannot afford air conditioning or shelter from the elements.
However, the area under the shady trees can be 20 to 45 degrees cooler than the surrounding sidewalks. Planting more trees in urban areas helps, but escaping to cooler forests also benefits human health. Camping trips are low-cost family vacations.
5. Improved mental health
Finally, spending time in the forest is great for your mental health. One study of 10- to 12-year-old students with severe mental health disorders found that spending two hours a week in nature reduced students’ psychological distress to the point that teachers noticed changes in their behavior. It turns out that
Forest regeneration and human health
Reforestation is a necessary process to regenerate the earth. However, this process also benefits your health. Nature designed humans and forests to play together, but that can only happen if the human half of the equation plays a role in wise and restorative forest management.
Author biography
Oscar Collins is Modded’s Editor-in-Chief and writes about health and fitness. Follow him on Twitter @TModded for regular updates on his work and subscribe to Modded Minute for more information.
