The forest provides
People who live in and near forests depend on them for much of their food, medicine, clothing, and timber. These people are often more conscious of the value of forests than those living further afield, many of whom regard forests solely as sources of timber and forget that they also provide nuts and fruits, rubber and cork, dyes, oils, and medicines.
Most of these products come from plants and trees that grow best in natural forests. Brazil nut trees, for example, can only grow in the wild, surrounded by other trees and plants. This is because they can only be pollinated by Euglossine bees, which need other sources of pollen when the Brazil nut trees are not flowering.
Forests also provide many useful services - not only clearing the air but ensuring steady supplies of clean water. The forest of La Tigra, for example, provides the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, with 40% of its drinking water. Experts estimate that the forest's water supplies are worth over US$100 million.
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