• Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • CCPA
  • Medical Disclaimer
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Bell County News Online
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Technology
    • Crytpocurrency
    • Gaming
    • Gadgets
  • Sports
  • Health
  • General
    • Business Services
  • Travel
  • Press Releases
  • Popular
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Technology
    • Crytpocurrency
    • Gaming
    • Gadgets
  • Sports
  • Health
  • General
    • Business Services
  • Travel
  • Press Releases
  • Popular
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home Technology Gaming

Digging Deep: How Forest Cover Change Impacts Carbon Stocks – The Indian Express

by NewsReporter
April 8, 2022
in Gaming
digging-deep:-how-forest-cover-change-impacts-carbon-stocks-–-the-indian-express
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Usually, when scientists and policymakers consider the amount of carbon that a forest can extract (‘sequester’) from the atmosphere, they just consider the amount of carbon stored in the biomass (put simply, the trees). However, a recent study sheds light on a parallel phenomenon that is equally important in sequestering carbon from the atmosphere.

Writing in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, Lawrence et al. (2022) report on the impact forest-cover change has on abiotic processes like water and energy balance. These biophysical processes have a considerable – but hitherto under-examined – impact on the carbon sequestration potential of the ecosystem. These biophysical effects are:

  • Albedo, ie, the amount of incoming radiation reflected by the ground
  • Evapotranspiration (ET) or the evaporation of water from land and the evaporation of water vapour from plant stomata
  • Canopy roughness – essentially a metric to measure the irregularities of the canopy surface. A high canopy roughness encourages vertical mixing and draws heat and water vapour from the surface.

The tropics inevitably receive more sunlight and moisture, which gives more energy to drive ET and cool the air near the surface. At higher latitudes, albedo is the most prominent biophysical driver as vegetation is patchy and sunlight seasonal. Another physico-chemical phenomenon is the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by forests. Their reaction with atmospheric oxygen produces secondary organic aerosols that are not only highly reflective (this causes cooling) but also concentrate clouds (aka ‘cloud condensation nuclei’) that increases ‘cloud’ albedo.

The authors examined effects of forest cover change on carbon stocks wrought out by abiotic factors, and then segregated these according to latitudes. To this end, they compiled quantitative data on biophysical factors from published literature. The data consists of both ground-based examinations as well as remote sensing. Here, both techniques usually use an area covered with forests and bereft of one as a proxy for afforestation and deforestation respectively. This was done at three scales – local, regional, and global – and for tropical rainforests in three continents: Latin America, Central Africa and South-East Asia.

Surface temperatures in areas under forest cover are ‘significantly lower’ than in areas bereft of cover, according to the study. In tropical forests, an average local surface cooling of 0.96-degree C was observed, while in temperate forests, the average cooling was 0.4-degree C. In boreal (Arctic) forests, it was 1-degree C.

Results revealed that biophysical cooling effects brought about by biophysical/abiotic drivers change by latitude in a rather predictable manner. From the equator to 30-40 degree N, biophysical effects augment CO₂ sequestration in cooling the global environment. In the mid-latitudes up to 50 degree N, deforestation leads to a ‘modest’ net global warming. Beyond 50 degree N deforestation leads to an increased cooling.

In the event of deforestation, albedo changes induce cooling, though this is offset by warming effect of lost canopy roughness. In tropics, once the warming from lost evapotranspiration is accounted for, the net biophysical effect from tropical deforestation is global warming.

At higher latitudes (i.e. 20-30 degree N), albedo compensates for the combined effect of canopy roughness, evapotranspiration, VOCs, ‘resulting in close to zero net biophysical effect on global temperature.’ At even higher latitudes (30-40 degree N), albedo is the most powerful biophysical driver and so, deforestation in these latitudes leads to net cooling.

These biophysical effects of forests add a moderating influence to the local and regional climate, which explains why, after deforestation, hot days become increasingly common even in mid- and high-latitudes. ‘Historical deforestation explains nearly one-third of the present day increase in the intensity of the hottest days of the year at a given location,’ the article states.

In a press release, Deborah Lawrence, lead author of the study, issues a foreboding warning: ‘A recent major UN climate report showed we must urgently act now to avoid the worst case scenarios for our planet… If we lose these forests, we will get there 10 years faster. If we protect these forests, they will shield us from extreme climate disasters, droughts and impacts on our food and agriculture. We are benefiting now from the tropics keeping us cooler; they are keeping us from feeling these extremes already,’ she said.

According to Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), tropical forests, which have one of the fastest carbon sequestration rates per unit land area, face the greatest deforestation pressure. Tropical forests store nearly a quarter of terrestrial carbon on the planet and can also cool the earth by as much as 1-degree C, and even more if we factor in biophysical effects. The study further adds that restoring forests in the 0-10 degree N region would deliver 25 per cent more global cooling than expected based on CO2 sequestration alone.

Considering both biophysical and biochemical effects of forests in tandem can give us a more wholesome picture of the potential of forests in offsetting warming and, thereby, help governments in devising better conservation and climate strategies.

The author is a research fellow at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and a freelance science communicator. He tweets at @critvik 

Related Posts

Russia-Ukraine War News: Live Updates On Moskva Warship – The New York Times

by NewsReporter
April 15, 2022
0

Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker

the-biggest-gaming-news-for-april-14,-2022-–-thegamer

The Biggest Gaming News For April 14, 2022 – TheGamer

by NewsReporter
April 15, 2022
0

Elon Musk is trying to buy Twitter and Cyberpunk 2077's first expansion won't arrive until next year. We're nearing the end of the week but that doesn't mean that the news has slowed down. We've got plenty of big stories today, the biggest being Elon Musk's attempt to buy Twitter....

william-&-mary,-vcu-partnership-using-technology-to-treat-parkinson’s-symptom-enters-next-phase-–-news-3-wtkr-norfolk

William & Mary, VCU Partnership Using Technology To Treat Parkinson’s Symptom Enters Next Phase – News 3 WTKR Norfolk

by NewsReporter
April 14, 2022
0

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - It's a devastating disease more than a million Americans are battling and there's no cure, but local scientists say they're working on a way to make life with Parkinson's more bearable.For the last year and a half, researchers at William & Mary have been partnering with a...

report:-high-taxes,-low-profits-tavern-gaming-licenses-a-bust-for-pa.-|-thursday-morning-coffee-–-pennsylvania-capital-star

Report: High Taxes, Low Profits. Tavern Gaming Licenses A Bust For Pa. | Thursday Morning Coffee – Pennsylvania Capital-Star

by NewsReporter
April 14, 2022
0

Good Thursday Morning, Fellow Seekers. When it was pushed under the former Corbett administration in 2011, Pennsylvania’s tavern gaming law was pitched as a sure-fire way to allow Keystone State saloon-keepers to compete with the small games of chance that are a fixture at Elk and VFW halls across the commonwealth. Nearly a decade on,...

Bell County News Online

© 2021 Bell County News Online

Navigate Site

  • Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • CCPA
  • Medical Disclaimer

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • DMCA Policy
  • Medical Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • CCPA
  • Terms of Use

© 2021 Bell County News Online

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT