Will forests slow global warming - or speed it up?

Question

Wired Magazine recently asked some "Big Questions" in the cover story. This is one of them.

Details:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.02/bigquestions.html?pg=3#forests

Answer 1

Here is some research and their findings.

Carbon and Changes in Land Use
Our work shows that for the years 1850 to 2000 about 155 PgC were released to the atmosphere as a result of changes in land use, 85% from forests either logged or converted to other uses, the rest largely from cultivation of prairie soils (One Pg [petagram]=one billion metric tonnes=1000 x one billion kg). The total loss of carbon from terrestrial ecosystems was 165 PgC, but about 15 PgC accumulated in wood products (e.g., buildings, furniture, paper, etc.). The net increment in these wood products is the difference between harvests (about 235 PgC) and oxidation of products (about 220 PgC) over this 150-year period. Conversion of natural ecosystems to croplands and pastures was responsible for net releases to the atmosphere of 107 and 21 PgC, respectively. The net effect of logging and regrowth was to release about 23 PgC. The annual rate at which carbon was released to the atmosphere generally increased over the period 1850 to 2000 as rates of deforestation increased

Answer 2

This is certainly a very complex matter. According to google http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_sequestration carbon is generally only captured and locked away in the soil at temperatures below 25 C - above that the plant material through various processes and organisms decays and is released as CO2 which means that mature tropical rainforests etc are essentially carbon neutral. One additional complication of trees in temperate climates is that they may absorb heat whereas a snow cover would reflect heat, the trees thus adding to global warming, at least as far as this particular mechanism is concerned. The URL you give throws a whole lot more considerations into the melting pot.

Answer 3

I've got news for you buddy, there is no Global Warming.

Look at it this way:

2 groups of scientists have viewed identical data and are almost perfectly split in the beliefe that the earth is either headed for death by global warming, or death by a new ice age.

They can't decide between HOT and COLD! Doesn't that tell you something about the "science" behind the determinations?

Check out my 360 area, I've posted a blog on this very subject.

Answer 4

Forests slow down global warming by fixing more of the carbon in the atmosphere.

Answer 5

Global warming is in theory reversable,but it will mean global co operation between all countries ,and taking into account human nature and the world politics ,it is unlikely that this will happen,

At least not untill we are all in the middle of planetary disastres and it becomes a battle for the survival of humanity every where.

SOLUTIONS
if you want to help the planet ,plant a tree every week ,if everyone on the planet did we we would be able to reverse the destructive processes

reduce carbon emisions,and they are already working on that by alternative forms of energy and regulations on carbon producing materials,aerosol cans,burning rubbish,industrial chimneys,powerplants etc.

the capture of carbon and the production of water and assist the aquiferous manta.

the world bank pays large subsidies for reforrestation to capture carbon and the best tree for this is the Pawlonia

Waterharvesting projects ,such as millions of small dams.to redirect over ground waterflows from the rains into the ground to supply subteranian water supplies.

the protection of existing forrests.

stop building more highways,urban planning to include vegetation stop building cities encourage people to return to the land to conduct their business from there which now has become possible thanks to the internet.

education to motivate people to auto sufficiency by building more home food gardens.

education on environmental awareness
education on family planning to curb over´populaion

Agricultural education and improvements to follow the principals or sustainability and soil management.

more environmental or land ,design to prevent bush fires,such as--fire breaks

,more dams.regulations and control for public behaviour

alternative effeciant public transport to discourage the use of the internal conbustion engine

recicling wastes,limit water use

i am a Permaculture Consultant for the department of Ecology for the regional government in Guerrero Mexico
http://spaces.msn.com/byderule

Source(s) Lester E Brown is the director and founder of the global institute of Environment in the United states .he has compiled a report based on all the satalite information available from NASA,and all the information that has
come from Universities and American embassies WORLD WIDE ,
his little book--a planet under stress , Plan B has been trans lated into 50 languages and won the best book award in 2003.

Answer 6

Forests are being affected by climate change too with species struggling to adapt to warmer climates. In many parts of the world trees are dying as pests attack them. These pests such as the ones involved in dutch elm disease, used to be kept at bay when winters were colder and summer temperatures were cooler. This disease is now spreading.

Answer 7

The purpose of the article was to suggest that there is no solution to global warming except of course giving more power and money to the zealots and to cripple our industrial economy. It is junk science pushed by reds claiming to green.

Answer 8

forest will obiously slow global warming.global warming is caused because of high amount of carbon-dioxide in air.carbon-dioxide traps the heat radiated by the earth and makes the air warmer. this causes globalwarming. plants take in carbon-dioxide during photosynthesis.

in this way your answer comes.

Answer 9

Check out photosynthesis on the net.

Answer 10

check answers.com