Forests save $ 13 billion annually

A UK study found that tropical forests are absorbing 20% ​​of carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere, helping people save about $ 13 billion per year.

Tropical forests account for only 7-10% of the land area, but contribute to reducing 1/5 CO ₂ emissions in the atmosphere. Photo: globalcarbonproject.org.

Simon Lewis, an ecologist at the University of Leeds (UK) and many scientists gather data about 250,000 trees in tropical forests across the planet over the past 40 years. They found that the total mass of the tree increased markedly. 'That means the rainforest absorbs more carbon emissions. The oceans account for three-quarters of the Earth's surface and absorb about 8 billion tons of CO2 each year. While all tropical forests account for only 7-10% of the land area but help us eliminate up to 4.8 billion tons of CO ₂ per year, ' Simon commented.

Scientists speculate that the abundance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can act as a natural fertilizer, helping plants in tropical forests increase in height and width over the past 40 years. 'Based on the average cost that people have to buy a ton of carbon, I can say that the forest has helped people save about 13 billion dollars a year,' said Lee White, a member of the research team. , conclude.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates, human activity generates 32 billion tons of CO ₂ per year, but only 15 billion tons exist in the atmosphere and affect the climate. Carbon emissions increase the temperature of the earth's surface, increasing the number of droughts, heat and storms. Rising temperatures also cause many species to become extinct and raise sea levels.

Therefore, grasping changes in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere will help scientists to more accurately predict the evolution of climate change.