Forests are a natural resource that cover about 1/3 of the earth's land, with tropical forests making up about half of all forest coverage. Forests are both ecologically and economically important but increased human activities like urbanization, industrialization, and mining have led to indiscriminate tree felling and deforestation. The depletion of forests would deprive humans of both the economic and environmental benefits that forests provide, making forest ecology an important area of ecological study focused on understanding these unique ecosystems defined by the presence of trees.