Why are forests said to be so valuable?
The green forests pour into the air the oxygen we breathe. Their deep roots hold the soil like grasping fingers and guard it from the ravages of erosion. They control the streams which fill our reservoirs. They shelter all kinds of animals necessary to keep the balance of nature. When a great forest is burned or thoughtlessly hacked away, the air gets less oxygen. Streams overflow, washing precious soil down to the sea. The animal life it sheltered is destroyed and debris from the exposed area may be dumped into our water supplies.
