In pictures: celebrating forest life on International Forests Day

The world’s forests come in many forms and host an extraordinary array of plants and animals. Forests are also home to millions of people and are vital in combating climate change.

But with at least 50 million hectares of forests across the world likely to have been destroyed for profit in the decade to 2020, the need to protect our forests has never been greater. In order to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5ºC, cutting emissions and conserving and restoring natural ecosystems are vital.

These images show just some of our planet’s incredible forests, and the extraordinary life they harbour.