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The typical tropical forest may become a carbon source by the 2060s. [46] Researchers have found that, in terms of environmental services, it is better to avoid deforestation than to allow for deforestation to subsequently reforest, as the latter leads to irreversible effects in terms of biodiversity loss and soil degradation. [47]
A study highlighted in a 2022 Nature article underscores the broader climate benefits of tropical forests beyond carbon storage. Tropical forests cool the planet by one-third of a degree through biophysical mechanisms such as humidifying the air and releasing cooling chemicals, in addition to their role in extracting carbon dioxide from the air.
A Liberian tropical forest. Environmental issues in Liberia include the deforestation of tropical rainforest, the hunting of endangered species for bushmeat, the pollution of rivers and coastal waters from industrial run-off and raw sewage, and the burning and dumping of household waste.
The regions with the highest tropical deforestation rate between 2000 and 2005 were Central America—which lost 1.3% of its forests each year—and tropical Asia. [49] In Central America, two-thirds of lowland tropical forests have been turned into pasture since 1950 and 40% of all the rainforests have been lost in the last 40 years. [66]
Boreal forests, also known as taiga, are warming at a faster rate than the global average, [14] leading to drier conditions in the Taiga, which leads to a whole host of subsequent impacts. [15] Climate change has a direct impact on the productivity of the boreal forest, as well as its health and regeneration. [15]
The peat swamp forest is a dual ecosystem, with diverse tropical trees standing on a 10 to 12 m layer of peat - partly decayed and waterlogged plant material – which in turn covers relatively infertile soil. Peat is a major store of carbon.
The Food and Agriculture Organization outlines criteria for sustainable forest management, such as maintaining forest resources, biodiversity, health, and productive, protective, and socio-economic functions. These benchmarks are presently not met, posing potential detrimental effects if not addressed promptly.
Being the most carbon-rich tropical forest, mangroves are highly productive and are found to store three to four times more carbon than other tropical forests. [17] This is known as blue carbon . Mangroves make up only 0.7% of tropical forest area worldwide, yet studies calculate the effect of mangrove deforestation to contribute 10% of global ...