THE VITALITY OF FORESTS

The designation of geographical entities in this book and the presentation of the material do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of WWF concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. [...] The recognition of the interconnections between forests and human health elevates an urgent call to bridge the health and conservation sectors while looking at the numerous components of human health related to diverse forest functions across a variety of situations, contexts, and solutions. [...] The combinations of individual circumstances and the proximity and capacity of forests create social demands and needs that influence the use of forest goods and services for satisfying the material or nonmaterial needs that contribute to human health. [...] 32 T H E VITALITY OF FORESTS Illustrating the Evidence Connecting Forests and Human Health Flooding and landslides The role of forests in limiting the impacts of flooding or landslides typically depends on the scale, intensity, and duration of precipitation. [...] The current outbreak, however, is the result of its introduction to a new, hyperconnected, and immunologically naive group of people following the spillover event(s) that likely occurred closer to forest edge habitat years ago.153 Researchers are continuing to investigate the origins of the disease and the method of spillover into human populations.