139 Introduction Protection of forest ecosystems is a major challenge that the world faces today. The fragility of these ecosystems, the rapid pace of their depletion, and the time needed to revive them are the reasons why they must be sur- rounded with special care. It is also necessary to build the broadest possible coalition for the protection of for- ests and to use all means to this end. The gravity of the problem is relected by the fact that the UN has declared 2011 the International Year of Forests. The main fac- tors which led the UN to take such a decision include the following: forests cover 31% of the total land area; primary forests account for 36% of forest area; forests are home to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity; forests are home to 300 million people around the world; the liveli- hoods of 1.6 billion people depend on forests; 30% of forests are used for the production of wood and non- wood products; in 2004, trade in forest produce was estimated at $ 327 billion dollars (UN, 2011). Publications on the effectiveness of ecological projects indicate the crucial role of reconciling the so- called Big Conservation with Little Conservation. Last- ing ecological effects can only be achieved by using both the economic resources and technologies held by Big Conservation and the commitment and traditional knowledge that are the assets of Little Conservation (BoUcher, 2011). A harmonious combination of the two ways to protect nature must lead to a rethinking of the famous slogan of sustainable development, ‘think glob- ally, act locally’. It is in fact impossible to act locally without being able to think locally. The initiators of major ecological projects who think globally, described by Raymond Dasmann as the ‘Biosphere People’, need to understand that the success of their environmental projects depends on the ‘Ecosystem People’. The latter are in fact the guarantors of the effectiveness of envi- ronmental projects in their area. They have a vested in- terest in the condition of the environment in which they live and work, and raise their children. The advantage of the ‘Ecosystem People’ lies in the fact that they know their land and depend on it for their wellbeing. Their identity and their history are part of the landscape. They locate themselves in relation to natural features in the landscape and the history associated with those features (Alcorn, 1995). A crucial element of the identity of local communi- ties is their religion and its local manifestations as well FOLIA OECOLOGICA – vol. 39, no. 2 (2012). ISSN 1336-5266 Religious motivations for the protection of forest ecosystems Ryszard F. Sadowski Institute of Ecology and Bioethics, Faculty of Christian Philosophy, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, Wóycickiego 1/3, 01-938 Warsaw, Poland, e-mail: sadowski@wa.onet.pl Abstract Sadowski, R.F. 2012. Religious motivations for the protection of forest ecosystems. 2012. Folia oecol., 39: 139–146. The shrinking area of forests urges intensiication of efforts to restore damaged forest ecosys- tems and protect the existing ones. Religions may become an important ally in this process. Their ecological potential remains under-exploited. Owing to their ‘ecological advantages’, i.e. their capacity to shape cosmologies (worldviews), their moral authority and broad base of adherents, signiicant material resources and community-building capacity, religions can help shape ecological lifestyles. All major religious traditions have a lot to offer. Evoking religious motivations of a substantial part of humanity can greatly improve the condition of forests, increase effectiveness of their protection and encourage broad sections of societies to get involved in this task. Keywords religion and ecology, religion-based ecological organizations, sacred forest, sacred grove