AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Trees take in carbon dioxide and traps it into tissues and soil while at the same time releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. The removal of trees significantly reduces the rate of this process, resulting in higher carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and lower natural oxygen levels.

Detailed explanation-2: -Trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow. This is converted into carbon and stored in the plant’s branches, leaves, trunks, roots and in the soil. When forests are cleared or burnt, stored carbon is released into the atmosphere, mainly as carbon dioxide.

Detailed explanation-3: -Therefore, the absence of trees would result in significantly HIGHER amounts of carbon dioxide in the air and LOWER amounts of oxygen! The filthy air would also be full of airborne particles and pollutants like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide and its temperature may increase by up to 12 F.

Detailed explanation-4: -When forests are cut down, much of that stored carbon is released into the atmosphere again as carbon dioxide (CO2). This is how deforestation and forest degradation contribute to global warming.

Detailed explanation-5: -Under elevated CO2 most plant species show higher rates of photosynthesis, increased growth, decreased water use and lowered tissue concentrations of nitrogen and protein. Rising CO2 over the next century is likely to affect both agricultural production and food quality.