whats is deforestation in its relation to global warming? how does deforestation contribute to global warming?

Question

links and explanations would be greatly appreciated thanks

Answer 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

Answer 2

Most people assume that global warming is caused by burning oil and gas. But in fact between 25 and 30 percent of the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere each year – 1.6 billion tonnes – is caused by deforestation.

About 200 experts, mostly from developing countries, met in Rome last week to address this issue in a workshop organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and hosted by FAO. “We are working to solve two of the key environmental issues – deforestation and global warming – at the same time,” said FAO Senior Forestry Officer Dieter Schoene.

Trees are 50 percent carbon. When they are felled or burned, the C02 they store escapes back into the air. According to FAO figures, some 13 million ha of forests worldwide are lost every year, almost entirely in the tropics. Deforestation remains high in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia.

Answer 3

Deforestation is a huge problem considering its contribution towards global warming. Basically, this is how I understand it. Plant life is the main source of oxygen for the entire planet because they go through the process of photosynthesis, in which they intake carbon dioxide, and expell oxygen. When mass amounts of forests and trees are cut down, oxygen isn't being released into the air and carbon dioxide isn't being taken up either. One of the main contributions to global warming is the excess amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, along with other greenhouse gases. The carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases gather and create a shield around the earth that traps in heat instead of allowing it to travel out to space. Deforestation is therefore a large part of global warming and should be stopped at all costs, for the sake of our planet.

Answer 4

This is one for Byderule to answer but I'll have a go.

As trees grow they sequester (remove) carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis. This carbon is 'locked' inside the tree and a matue tree can sequester 3 to 5 tons of CO2. When they're cut down and burned or allowed to rot this trapped CO2 is released back into the atmosphere, there's also biodegredation and methanogenic processes which produce and release methane (much more harmful then CO2).

By chopping down a tree not only does it release carbon back into the atmosphere but it can no longer sequester CO2 from the atmpshere.

All told, deforestation produces about a quarter of all manmade CO2 emissions and each year an area of forest about the size of Italy is cut down, some is replanted but most isn't. This all adds up to billions of tons of carbon dioixide being released into the atmosphere every year.

Here's a few links I found...

http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000385/index.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/02/030214074147.htm
http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/eae/Global_Warming/Older/Deforestation.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6870856/

Answer 5

In a nutshell: Carbon is one of the biggest contributors to global warming. Trees store carbon dioxide. When they are cut down (deforestation), the carbon stored inside is released into the atmosphere. That's not good. More carbon=more global warming. global warming=very very bad.

Answer 6

There are vast resources from the Sierra Club, the World Wildlife Fund and the Union of Concerned Scientists.

The reasons deforestation is so important an issue are many.
Without trees, you lose oxygen. This worsens carbon dioxide presence. The loss of trees eliminates vital habitat for animals, and just as the increased carbon dioxide and the ozone levels (that higher levels increase) does even more damage, the damage to human-occupied areas is also worsened.

The materials we gain from forests are depleted; the temperature of the planet is slowly increased as deserts and bare land are increased; erosion is made to happen or happen faster; and the damage from rain, snow, wind and forest is worsened.

Then as temperatures rise and water levels from melting Arctic snows are disastrously increased, the problems of larger hurricanes, higher winds, lost clean water and increasing problems for underdeveloped countries those living along seacoasts and in drier countries must result.

Forests and jungles are habitats first, sources of materials and recreation second. They are vital to the health of the eco-sphere, just as the oceans are, for reasons that are not always immediately visible.

Answer 7

After carbon emissions caused by humans, deforestation is the second principle cause of atmospheric carbn dioxide. (NASA Web Site) Deforestation is responsible for 25% of all carbon emissions entering the atmosphere, by the burning and cutting of about 34 million acres of trees each year. We are losing millions of acres of rainforests each year, the equivalent in area to the size of Italy. [22] The destroying of tropical forests alone is throwing hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. We are also losing temperate forests. The temperate forests of the world account for an absorption rate of 2 billion tons of carbon annually. [3] In the temperate forests of Siberia alone, the earth is losing 10 million acres per year.

Answer 8

you tell me

Imagine walking in a forrest.
Then Imagine walking in the Sahara.

This difference is happening all over the planet
so collectively a lot less precipitation ,and much more heat around.

DEFORESTATION 2 LEAVE GAIA GASPING

trees are coming down all the time ,
in My town trucks loaded with huge logs of exotic timber leave the mountains with permits bought from corupt oficials almost nightly

we can only guess at the exatct amount but from my house we can see many bare patches on the mountains and the river is constantly muddy in the last 3 years ,because topsols with out theprotection of the forrests is washed into the rivers ,
this is just one place and this is happening all over mexico ,the Market for the wood being the USA.
here is a general note on deforestation

CAN DEFORESTATION BE STOPPED
Almost impossible

the Indians or local people would cut everything down and burn the forrest to replace it with harmfull short term farming killing the soil in no time

expanding populations and expanding farming ,that has to keep pace with the expanding populations are very strong forces that encroach upon the rainforest's
clearing them for farming and settlement areas .

that and the giant networks of roads that have exchanged forests for asphalt all over the planet

In Mexico is a famous jungle that the Media has been trying to save for years
the Naturists ,and the government ,keep watch .laws are made for protection the wild and to forbid logging.
TV put out a series of documentaries
there are campaigns in the News papers
and all of this has not made the slightest difference

Rainforest's always are in third world countries and always in third world countries corruption and the need for money s highest

the jungle gets smaller by the day
more and more farmers move in .and burn the trees
it is an impossible situation
as long as there is poverty and an increasing birth rate in these regions the destruction will continue

they are too easily tempted to sell of exotic animals to the unscroupelous people who buy them.for the market that exists in the USA.

we must look for ways to improve economic situations on the edges of Nature .

the only way to preserve the forrest is to devellop eco tourism under strict control that has limited acces ,and use the local people in the concept as guides ,hotel staff and get them to start home industries of artifacts .

eco tourism is the only concept that profits by a healthy back ground with out harming it

IN THE PAST
in the days of the dinosaurs this planet was under an aquiferus manta ,a mist that covered the entire earth ,and there were very few desserts .

Count how many there are today,and most of them are as a result of mans actions.

the sahara used to be forrests
arabia ,irak ,iran used to be fertile lands in biblical times
Ghengas Kahn burned all the forrests here and filled the well with water and so turning vast lands into dessert.
the Spanish Armada deforested Spain
.the Phoenician fleet deforested Lebanon

some more places are everywhere where there are or where forrests and wild life

Madagascar a botanic paradise is now destroyed
the exotic animals sold or killed ,the forest slash and burned for agriculture ,the coastal water poluted by topsoils washed fronm the denuded moutains by the rains.

many many countries in Africa (because of poverty and war as well as greedy farming )
Borneo because of the expensive timber
india ,China ,Mexico ,South Americas Amazonia,
Europe because of civilization,USA,Japan because of overpopulation,

read a planet under stress ,plan B --by Lester E Brown.
it is in an Adobe print out as well on the net.

REFORRESTATION

so to counter act these fatal processes we must reforrest and at the same time reduce our carbon emissions.
most governments are aware of these and many first world countries now include programs to reduce their carbon emissions.

the world bank pays large subsidies for farmers to plant trees especially a tree called Paulownia elongate carolinia,because it is one of the better ones that capture carbon.

HOWEVER
1000 trees that are replanted do not come anywhere near as producing the same effect or fullfilling the same function ,as far as carbon absorbtion ,production of humidity,climatic effects as the absorbtion or release of heat ,as ONE SINGLE FULLY GROWN TREE.

people keep saying we are good we cut down a thousand trees and replanted 20 thousand more

This means nothing in terms of environmental effects.

it takes at least 10 to 20 years before one of these replanted trees makes the same impact as the ones that are removed

Answer 9

All plant life absorbs carbon and stores it. By burning a forest you are releasing that carbon. In addition there are now fewer trees to absorb the carbon man puts in to the atmosphere every day. CO2 stays in the atmosphere. The planet gets warmer.

Answer 10

Trees put oxygen in the air, and trees have a cooling effect on the planet.
Trees also help hold the soil together so erosion won't happen. Trees provide a place for birds to nest.

Answer 11

Deforestation supports it self in geometrical progression as it stops cross polination.