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Global Warming Question!!!?
CO2 in the atmosphere traps heat and warms the air, just as clear glass does in a greenhouse. Scientific evidence indicates that the CO2 added to the air by the burning of wood and fossil fuels is contributing to a rise in global temperature. Tropical rain forests are estimated to be responsible for more than 20% of global photosynthesis. It seems reasonable to expect that the rain forests would reduce global warming by consuming large amounts of CO2, but many experts now think that rain forests make little or no NET contribution to reduction of global warming. WHY might this be???
(Hint: What happens to the food produced by a rain forest tree when it is eaten by animals or the tree dies?)
this is a question from my ap bio book (not me)
8 Answers • Global Warming
Best Answer (Chosen by Voter)
"many experts now think that rain forests make little or no NET contribution to reduction of global warming."
What experts, you don't cite a source, the current belief is that natural sinks like forests and the oceans are indeed absorbing ~40% of the CO2 we are producing the problem is we are reducing the number of trees.
http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/climate-change/dn11638
There are those who suggest there are more trees now than 200 years ago, this is rubbish. Even slight logic should tell you that cities and most of the farm land cleared in that time used to be forest and most plantation forest is plated in what used to be forest so that is a silly statement.
antarcticice • 7 years
Comment 0 1
Other Answers
Clear glass wouldn't be my best choice for a open system. Maybe a well ventilated systems with diffused glass would serve as a better analogy. After all there's ~65% cloud coverage at any given time. The net uptake of any forest has remained a speculative issues for a while. Moderate or mid growth seems to handle the rates of sequestering better then old growth. One also has to realize that rainforest's are unique, most nutrients and minerals are quickly weathered as runoff. The roots have to run deep to support life(old growth). Some can fixate atmospheric nitrogen without the acetate conversion of methane and CO2. To put it simply there's not a end all sure fire solution to a redundant cycle. I do find it strange that some people think a decomposing tree will become coal.