Forest biodiversity is being lost at an alarming rate. Key publications such as the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA 2005) and the Red List of Threatened Species™ (IUCN 2004) indicate that a large and increasing number of forest ecosystems, populations and species are threatened globally or being lost due to the loss and degradation of forest habitats.
The percentage of forest area designated for the conservation of biological diversity has increased significantly between 1990 and 2005, with an estimated 11.2% of total forest area having this objective as its primary function.