Forests represent the most biodiverse systems on Earth. They are home to around two-thirds of the Earth’s living animal and plant species, providing a wide variety of habitats for plants, animals and micro-organisms.

The survival of this ancient ecosystem is in danger. The rapid conversion of tropical forests into plantations, their destruction for the production of wood, imminent climate change and the increase in forest fires have all had potentially disastrous consequences for tropical biodiversity.

Every day between 50 and 150 living species disappear, and many other as-yet-unknown species that populate the rich and varied habitat of tropical, temperate and boreal forests are being lost.

The conservation and protection of the forest ecosystem is thus becoming vital for the preservation of biodiversity, as recently confirmed by Nature magazine. Many governments have outlined policies aimed at conserving and protecting biodiversity, by identifying new areas for this specific purpose.

Since 1990, 95 million hectares of forest (46% of this in the last five years) have been earmarked for the conservation of biodiversity. Currently 12% of the planet’s forests (over 460 million hectares) is designated for this purpose.

By geographical region, the largest forested area designated for the conservation of biological diversity is in South America (116 million hectares), followed by North America and Africa. The top three countries are the US (75 million hectares), Brazil (47 million hectares) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (26 million hectares).

Updated figures from the FAO’s latest report “State of Europe’s Forests 2011” reveal, however, that in the last year, Europe’s forested area reached a total of one billion hectares, or 45% of the continent’s surface area and 25% of the world’s. European forests are growing at a rate of 800,000 hectares a year, can absorb up to 10% (equal to 870 million tonnes) of Europe’s CO2 emissions, and provide work for 4 million people, representing 1% of the EU’s GDP.
The state of Italy's forests is also given a glowing report in the document. The country is home to 9.1 million hectares of forested land. Moreover, Italy recorded one of the biggest increases over the last year. This phenomenon is due to the general move away from higher ground. Although this provides an opportunity for forests, it often translates into a further cause of disruption in the area.


More details:
http://www.cbd.int/forest/
http://www.iucn.it/
http://www.greenfacts.org/en/digests/biodiversity.htm