Читать книгу Climate Change For Dummies - Elizabeth May - Страница 18

Forests, conserved land, and natural habitats aren’t important just for the sake of saving trees and animals. Forests and all greenery are important players in keeping the climate in check. Plants take in the carbon that’s in the atmosphere and give back oxygen, and older trees hold on to that carbon, storing it for the duration of their lives. By taking in carbon dioxide, they’re significantly reducing the greenhouse effect. (See Chapter 2 for more about how plants help the Earth keep atmospheric carbon at a reasonable level.)

Unfortunately, much of the world’s forests have been cut down to make way for farmland, highways, and cities. Deforestation is responsible for about a quarter of GHG emissions. Rainforests and mangrove forests (very productive forests that grow in wetlands) are especially good at soaking up carbon dioxide because they breathe all year round. Temperate forests, on the other hand, don’t absorb much carbon dioxide over the winter, practically going into hibernation. (Chapter 5 has more about deforestation.)