Not only do trees help filter out toxins and harmful gases, but they also produce much of the oxygen we need in order to live. Yet, large-scale production, modernization, and taxing population demands are depleting the world's forests at an alarming rate. Those interested in providing greater forest management and environmental protection should research the various college programs dedicated to this extremely important industry. Without proper forest resources management, catastrophes such as Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters could happen with much greater frequency.
Forestry is a branch of environmental science that deals with protecting wildlands, wildlife, and vegetation. In a typical associate or bachelor degree program, students focus on soil erosion, biomedical engineering, botany, taxonomy, public policy, international relations, farm management, conservation, and other areas germane to good forest management. Thereafter, graduates can work in many different branches of environmental science and forestry in countries all around the world.
In its 2004 survey, the US Department of Labor predicted that forestry positions would actually decline over the next several years. But this study came out prior to the recent onslaught of natural disasters, global warming data, and other evidence suggesting that greater attention needs to be placed on forest management. Moving forward, it is likely that demand for forestry experts will increase as world governments seek new ways to restore greater balance to the Earth's biosphere.