The WWF is run at a local level by the following offices...
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Forests are very important for both nature, and human beings. Forests enrich air with oxygen, increase relative air humidity, have contribution in conservation of soils, arable lands and waters, climate regulation, and represent habitats of fauna and flora.
Forest provides the mankind with many goods such as wood, fruits and berries; forests are valued in decorative, curative, scientific and educational, and many other aspects.
Armenia is considered a country where forests are scarce. Forests and forest lands cover about 11.2 % of the country area: to put it other way, 460 thousand hectares, of which 334.1 are forest-covered areas. This number incorporates about 50 thousand hectares of artificial (planted) forests. For correlation, let us indicate that the forest area of neighboring Georgia corresponds to more than 40% of the country area.
Anyway, even this limited share of forests allotted us is rich in characteristic species composition. In the glacial era, hydrophilic and water-loving species of forests were ultimately eliminated, and lush subtropical forests gave place to broad-leaved forests with predominance of beech, oak and other species.
Presently, the main species composing forests in Armenia are beech, oak, hornbeam and pine. There are also many rare species that grow in limited areas and are considered the oldest flora representatives. These are the taxus, the common ivy, the wild jasmine, the oriental platan, the Caucasian elm, the clematis and other.
There is a commonplace saying that “forests are our planet’s lungs” and the main suppliers of oxygen; hence, conservation of forests and their biodiversity represents one of environmental problems that are of paramount importance for all countries of the world.
Irregular logging of forests and inadequate level of forest protection measures have led to forest degradation, undesirable changes of the species composition, as well as high rate of forest fire risk. This situation has developed in many countries worldwide. Unfortunately, increased number of forest fires has been recorded in Armenia as well.