Understanding the true value of our ecosystems, and how they ensure our quality of life, is the key to conserving them.
Some of the most vulnerable environments on earth are also the most valuable. Carbon-rich areas like peatlands and tropical forests have a crucial role in containing greenhouse gases and slowing biodiversity loss. Tropical ecosystems are also vital to the world economy and our quality of life. They help maintain the planet’s vital functions, like pollination and rainfall patterns, far beyond the regions themselves – the dieback of the Amazon rainforest would cause droughts not only in the wheatfields of Brazil, but in the American Midwest.