After agriculture, forests are probably the greatest generators of environmental income for the poor. Rural communities are frequently found in or near forest areas, which vary widely in density and composition, from closed canopy rainforests to alpine coniferous forests to woody savannas. The productivity and variety of forest ecosystems, as well as their habitat value for game species, make them important contributors to the local subsistence and commercial economies. (See Box 2.2 Brazil Nuts And Palm Hearts: Bringing Forest Livelihoods To The City.)
Substantial research corroborates the importance of forests to the world
