Scientific evidence indicates that the CO2 added to the air by the burning of wood and fossil fu

Scientific evidence indicates that the CO2 added to the air...

Scientific evidence indicates that the $\mathrm{CO}_{2}$ added to the air by the burning of wood and fossil fuels is contributing to global warming, a rise in global temperature. Tropical rain forests are estimated to be responsible for approximately $20 \%$ of global photosynthesis, yet the consumption of large amounts of $\mathrm{CO}_{2}$ by living trees is thought to make little or no net contribution to reduction of global warming. Explain why this might be the case. (Hint: What processes in both living and dead trees produce $\mathrm{CO}_{2} ?$ )

Scientific evidence indicates that the $\mathrm{CO}_{2}$ added to the air by the burning of wood and fossil fuels is contributing to global warming, a rise in global temperature. Tropical rain forests are estimated to be responsible for approximately $20 \%$ of global photosynthesis, yet the consumption of large amounts of $\mathrm{CO}_{2}$ by living trees is thought to make little or no net contribution to reduction of global warming. Explain why this might be the case. (Hint:
What processes in both living and dead trees produce $\mathrm{CO}_{2} ?$ )

Key Concepts

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize nutrients from carbon dioxide and water. While this process removes CO? from the atmosphere and stores carbon in plant biomass, it is just one part of the overall carbon balance in living systems.

Respiration

Respiration is a metabolic process occurring in all living cells, including those in trees, where stored sugars are broken down to release energy. This process produces carbon dioxide as a byproduct, meaning that even while trees consume CO? during photosynthesis, they also emit it continuously during respiration.

Decomposition

Decomposition is the breakdown of dead plant and animal material by microorganisms. In forest ecosystems, dead trees and organic matter decompose, releasing CO? back into the atmosphere. This process counteracts some of the carbon sequestration achieved by photosynthesis.

Carbon Cycle

The carbon cycle describes the series of processes by which carbon atoms circulate through the Earth's atmosphere, biosphere, oceans, and geosphere. It involves the interplay between photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition. In forest ecosystems, the CO? consumed during photosynthesis is largely balanced by the CO? released during respiration and decomposition, leading to little net reduction in atmospheric CO? despite significant photosynthetic activity.

Transcript

00:01 Let's talk a little bit about carbon dioxide, trees, and global warming.

00:06 So just to kind of recap global warming or global climate change, which global climate change is a little more accurate.

00:14 However, it's referred to as global warming because it refers to the process where greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, which we're going to talk about, co2.

00:24 And another one being methane are in the atmosphere and they form a heat trapping blanket.

00:30 Around the earth, which increases the global temperature and changes lots of systems that are there already.

00:38 This increase in temperature is not a good thing.

00:42 So just briefly, carbon exists in the air as carbon dioxide.

00:46 And it can be absorbed by photosynthesis, by land plants, or algae.

00:54 When carbon dioxide is dissolved in water, it can form bicarbonate.

00:58 And that can be converted to it.

01:00 Energy by algae.

01:03 So photosynthesis converts carbon dioxide or bicarbonate into organic molecules.

01:09 The organic molecules made by the photosynthesizers are then passed through the food chain and cellular respiration converts the organic carbon back into carbon dioxide gas.

01:21 So carbon is essential to the food web.

01:24 It enters all the food webs, terrestrial aquatic, through autotrophs or self -featers.

01:29 Almost all autotrophs.

01:31 Are photosynthesers.

01:33 So here is our autotroph, a tree.

01:40 So the tree can capture the carbon dioxide from the air and use it to make organic compounds like glucose.

01:49 Heterotrofts or other feeders, like humans, other creatures that consume plants...