"An area the size of Wales is frequently used to measure the rate of forestdestruction around the world, " said Size of Wales project manager, Hannah Scrase.
But they can play an important role in providing communities with local, renewable sources of energy and, critically, livelihoods that offer a compelling alternative to forestdestruction.
As the Nature piece notes, a 2010 study found that reports of drought-related forest stress and destruction had risen steadily since 1985 in varied ecosystems around the world, and suggested the pattern was tied to climate change.