Mongabay
They may be labeled “degraded,” but forests that have been logged, or are otherwise no longer pristine due to human activity, can still provide immense value. According to new research in Malaysian Borneo, degraded tropical forests regulate the surrounding temperature, filter pollutants from air and water, and otherwise provide benefits valued by local communities. The study, published in Environmental Science & Policy, surveyed 80 respondents from three Indigenous villages in Tongod district, Sabah state, living near degraded forests. It quizzed them about the ecosystem services — the benefit…