We all know how beautiful our wild, unspoilt nature can be... and it's importance to our living planet Earth. But did you realise the speed at which man himself is damaging it's unique natural habitat? We are well on our way to destroy our forests, plants, wetlands; we are polluting our oceans and seas. This way, we're driving numerous animal species, plant species and many others into extinction. Everyone should be aware of the importance of our natural environment. Here you can read about the true value that forests, plants, wetlands, oceans and seas have for life on Earth. You'll find additional information about current and future threats to our natural planet, why we need nature to survive and how we can deal with the environmental problems we face.

Plants are threatened because of habitat loss, forcing many plant species towards extinction, no matter how important these plants are to us. They provide man, as well as animals, with food, shelter, clothing, medicine, and most of all... oxygen. To save our plants, we need to stop unsustainable logging, halt pollution, monitor plant collecting, and protect exotic and endangered species.

Forests are endangered because of industrial scale logging and other forms of tree cutting, which often leads to an enormous waste of smaller plants, trees and wood in general. Forests are vital to plants, animal species and human existence. They provide us not just with food and other products, but even more important is their role in absorbing carbon-dioxide. They even generate local employment and income. In addition, woods and forests offer a natural place for relaxation, recreation, and a spiritual and cultural base for many people. We also need to find solutions to stop deforestation. This means we need to decrease the use of unsustainable wood and start recycling timber and woodproducts. Timber can actually be used several times, for many different purposes. Organisations like Forest Stewardship Council sell wood with a trademark (FSC, and others). By buying such timber and wood, you ensure you’re using wood that comes from renewable and sustainable forests.

Another kind of land habitat that's threatened with extinction are the world's wetlands. The main cause for their loss is uncontrolled economic development. We need wetlands as an important breeding ground for birds and other animals. Wetlands are vital to floodprotection, and function as a buffer against drought or saltwater intrusion. Wetlands also purify water supplies and recharge groundwater reserves. One viable solution to protect our wetlands is to renew certain natural and historical wetlands and bring them back to their previous glory.

Mysteries of Saturn as seen by Cassini probe - Since 2004, the probe has scrutinised the ringed planet in unprecedented detail – see the results in our gallery

Science in court - Academics are too often at loggerheads with forensic scientists. A new framework for certification, accreditation and research could help to heal the breach.

Partners Protect 96 Acres in Lyme - The Nature Conservancy, has partnered with the Town of Lyme and the Lyme Land Conservation Trust (LLCT) to finalize the protection of 96 acres of forest, including a half-mile stretch of the Eightmile River in Connecticut as it enters Hamburg Cove, linking more than 1000 acres of open space land in the southeastern part of the river with a 10-mile plus long corridor of protected land running from the Connecticut River well into the Eightmile River Watershed.

Today on New Scientist: 18 March 2010 - All today's stories on newscientist.com at a glance, including: how machines could break down language barriers, the first natural event changed by global warming, and whether miaow-miaow should be banned