Trees and Climate Change

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Trees and Climate Change
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Global Warming

• the recent increase of the mean temperatures in
  the earths atmosphere and oceans which is
  predominantly caused by human induced greenhouse
  emissions
• Effects occurrence and magnitude of rising sea
  levels, precipitation patterns, extreme weather,
  biological extinctions, and change in
  agricultural production

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Greenhouse Effect

• the process by which an atmosphere warms a
  planets surface. In this effect, the sun sends
  out a vast amount of short wavelength radiation
  (visible light) which penetrates into the earths
  atmosphere. ¼ of this radiation is reflected back
  into space by clouds and the atmosphere. The
  Earths surface absorbs the rest, heats up, and
  radiates this energy back as long wavelength
  radiation (infrared.) Infrared radiation is
  trapped inside heat trapping gases in the
  atmosphere.

http//www.classroomencounters.com/
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What are Northern Boreal Forests?

• one of the three vast forest ecosystems in the
  world along with the temperate forest of the
  mid-latitudes, and tropical forest near the
  equator
• supports a plentiful variety of wildlife, which
  range from endangered species to extremely
  valuable wood.
• Unfortunately, over half of the existing boreal
  forest may disappear, due to the effects of
  climate change. This will pose several problems
  the loss of trees and the carbon dioxide that
  will be released from dying trees when climate
  change occurs.

http//magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0206/featu
re2/images/ft_hdr.2.jpg
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How do they affect climate?

• The boreal forests are major carbon sinks,
  absorbing an average of between 700 million and
  1.3 billion metric tonnes of carbon each year.
• They can absorb13-24 of approximately 5.5
  billion tonnes of carbon released annually from
  the burning of fossil fuels in 1980-1989
• They absorb co2 in the atmosphere by
  photosynthesis in which they take co2 from the
  atmosphere and release oxygen

http//www.caribbeanedu.com/images/kewl/photosynth
esis.gif
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How are they affected by climate?

• Climate change will affect boreal ecosystems in a
  number of ways the air temperature will
  increase, rainfall and humidity will change and
  soils will turn dry, resulting in a necessity of
  adaptation that the boreal trees can not handle.
• the boreal forests are likely to decrease in
  area, biomass, and carbon stock, along with a
  noticeable loss in their southern boundaries.

Tree Growth and Inter-Decadal Climate Variability
www.usgcrp.gov/.../education/alaska/ak-edu-5.htm
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Carbon Dioxides Influence

• If carbon dioxide levels were to double in
  concentration, as predicted will happen over the
  next 100 years, then the boreal forest belts
  would shift northward by about 500 km
• These new forest belts would no longer be Boreal
  but rather a more fast-moving flexible species
  such as those with wider seed spreading, faster
  growth, and early maturity

• Carbon dioxide levels

http//www.cossa.csiro.au/lb/lbbook/lcc/co2.jpg
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What you can do

• Reduce the amount of fossil fuel based energy you
  use (drive less waste less and and use less
  electricity, heat, and refrigeration)
• Join a group to plant trees and prevent forest
  fires such as
• http//www.ahc.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u160

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Conclusion

• Boreal Forests contribute to co2 sequestration as
  do rocks, phytoplankton, oceans, soil, and other
  natural systems.
• As co2 levels go up, the need to remove these and
  other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere
  increases. Boreal trees play a crucial role as
  living carbon sinks and need to be protected.
• Human rates of carbon emissions must be reduced.
• Anyone can make a difference!

• http//www.werc.usgs.gov/scoter/2005/images/ss4.jp
  g