Scientific evidence indicates that the CO2 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 CO2 by living trees is thought to make little or no net contribution to reduction of global warming. Why might this be? (Hint: What processes in both living and dead trees produce CO2?)

The trees in tropical rainforests exhibit very less or no effect on the decline of global warming as these living species by themselves donate to the emanation of carbon dioxide via the process of respiration. Though the trees use carbon dioxide in the process of photosynthesis, however, they balance this is donating the carbon dioxide back to the atmosphere via respiration.

The process of photosynthesis takes place only at the time of day, however, the process of respiration takes place both during day and night and in certain plants known as C3 plants, who exhibit one more kind of respiration known as photorespiration, which takes place in the existence of light and again discharges carbon dioxide.

With some exemptions, the majority of the tropical trees are C3 plants. Thus, in spite of contributing 20 percent of the global photosynthesis, their contribution to diminishing global warming is negligible or nil because of the production of carbon dioxide by the process of respiration.

pstnonsonjoku pstnonsonjoku · Answer 2 · 2021-10-28T09:54:50+02:00

The processes of respiration in plants, deforestation/decay of trees or bush burning contribute largely to global carbon dioxide burden.

Plants take in carbon dioxide via the process of photosynthesis. As such, plants are expected to contribute to the reduction of the global carbon dioxide burden especially in the tropical rain forest which has an abundance of vegetation.

However, plants also undergo cellular respiration which produce carbon dioxide. In the process of cellular respiration, oxygen breaks down glucose to yield carbon dioxide and water. This contributes to the global burden of carbon dioxide thereby counteracting the large amounts of CO2 taken in by living trees.

Secondly, when trees die or are cut down and left to rot or when trees are burned, CO2 is released. It is estimated that about 30 million acres of forest lands are lost yearly to deforestation, this results in the release of about 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2. It is suggested that about 10 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions result from deforestation especially in the tropical rain forest.

Therefore, consumption of large amounts of CO2 by living trees makes little or no net contribution to reduction of global warming.

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