Wait, Don’t Do That to My Oxygen!?!

Brittany Jordan

March 18,2017

Environmental Science

“Wait, Don’t Do That to My Oxygen!?!”

(The effects of deforestation on the environment)

In elementary school, you probably learned in science class that trees produce oxygen. According to treeremoval.com, the forest is are the lungs of our planet. Did you know that on average, one tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year? Two mature trees can provide enough oxygen for a family of four. We need to take that into consideration, next time we are relaxing in the shade on a hot, summer day. Trees are not only our source of oxygen, but it is the home to many organisms. Some trees can live up to 5,000 years, but with deforestation being an issue, other trees may not be here that long. If you were to travel cross country, most likely you will see trees being mowed down like grass. The primary source that provides you oxygen can be discarded like trash. Sometimes they used these trees for other purposes, but in some cases, they put into piles to are burned. This process is called deforestation. According to dictionary definition by Webster, deforestation is “the action or process of clearing of forests.” The first known use of the term deforestation was in 1874. Of course, trees were being cut down in the past for fuel and lumber. Deforestation not only occurs in one place but “some countries are chopping down their forests at astonishing rates.” As a result of not applying alternative solutions, irreversible effects to the Earth’s natural resources are taking place. The effects of deforestation are lifelong, and they may include carbon emissions in the Earth's atmosphere, the drive of climate change, and the substantial loss of biodiversity.

Deforestation not only occurs in one place but “some countries are chopping down their forests at astonishing rates.”  Honduras, Nigeria, The Philippines, Benin, Ghana, Indonesia, Nepal, North Korea, Ecuador, and Haiti suffer the most from deforestation. Of course, we have deforestation occurring in the United States, which is playing a role in damaging the environment as well. The main geographic areas that suffer from deforestation are grasslands and rainforests. During the demolition of trees, they release the carbon that is stored naturally for photosynthesis. Photosynthesis can release nearly billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere per year. As a response to all this carbon dioxide in the air, the trees fail to process this carbon through photosynthesis. When you add up all the factors that contribute to carbon emissions in the atmosphere, we must start to look for other ways to carry out our agendas. The lifestyle we are participating in are not only destroying the habitats, but we are destroying our habitat in the process. Carbon dioxide emission in the United States has increased by 9 percent between 1990 and 2014. Our transportation also emits CO2 at an alarming rate because of an increase of miles traveled by motor vehicles. When we take advantage of our natural resources and pollute the atmosphere, the Earth responds with global warming.

Global warming is nothing new to the science world. In fact, global warming has been a concern since 1896. Svante Arrhenius published a paper in the Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science; He is first to document to quantify the contribution of carbon dioxide to the greenhouse effect. Setting forests on fire, clear-cutting for agriculture, ranching and development, unsustainable logging for timber, and degradation due to climate change are all the ways of deforestation. Take a few seconds to reflect on what we can do as an alternative to all of these things. The reason that is noted because, with climate change as one of the effects of deforestation, we are affected more than we know. When temperatures start to fluctuate up and down, it throws several ecosystems out of balance.For example, if a species of bugs are reproducing and dying off during certain seasons, what happens when the seasons are not doing their job? This species will either adapt and breed species that are more unison with the climate. If this bug plays a role in eating off certain bacteria that keeps us from being ill, what occurs when the bug is killed off by the unpredictable climate? Explained here is a small example of our ecosystem being affected by climate change because other organisms exist so we can live. If these organisms cannot survive in our toxic practices of life, then eventually more and more species will be extinct. Climate change not only affects the species but weather patterns globally. With the weather acting irregularly, hurricanes, thunderstorms, droughts, tsunamis, blizzards, earthquakes, and forest fires spark in several areas.

When thinking of climate change due to deforestation, we must start to consider how much the weather affects us as an individual. Our health can say a lot about the location we are residing. If there is so much carbon dioxide and other toxins in the atmosphere, that the trees can’t even absorb it, what do you think is taking place when you have full exposure to it? According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “The higher concentrations of ozone due to climate change may result in tens to thousands of additional ozone-related illnesses and premature deaths per year by 2030 in the United States, assuming no change in projected air quality policies.” The population that strikes a concern would be communities of color, children, older adults, occupational groups, people with chronic medical conditions and individuals with disabilities. According to statistics, this population of people is vulnerable to climate health risks due to particular sensitivities, high likelihood of exposure, low adaptive capacity, or combinations of these factors.  

So, we understand that carbon emissions emit into the atmosphere from deforestation which causes climate change. Once we figure out what happens with climate change, we can understand the loss of biodiversity. Biodiversity is the variety of life. Varieties can range from all the different species on the entire Earth to just focusing on biological diversity in a pond ecosystem or park. There are two types of biodiversity, and they are genetic and ecological. Genetic biodiversity deals with genes that exist within a species. Environmental biodiversity leans toward the diversity of natural communities, habitats, and ecosystems. What makes biodiversity important is that it is an essential part of ecological services that make life livable on Earth. Biodiversity helps us to live happy and healthy lives. Biodiversity provides an array of foods and materials. Did you also know that everything from cleaning water, absorbing chemicals, and providing oxygen come from our wetlands? So, if we snatch all those benefits away, then we can see why the loss is greater than what we are gaining with biodiversity. Human activities indirectly affect biodiversity through climate change and pollution. Loss of biodiversity stems from these three elements: habitat loss, the spread of non-native species/diseases, and overexploitation. Our lifestyle is what damages biodiversity. You can explain to people that deforestation destroys habitats for species. Some may respond that they are more concerned about improved roadways and apartments. You can even take the time to explain to the fish lovers with their big boats, that they are damaging biodiversity with overfishing. And finally, the last threat people should be informed about is the spread of non-native species/ diseases. Having a pet and releasing it out accidentally or intentionally into nature can cause the spread of non-native species. This pet starts populating to the point where it starts to take over. Another example is when insects that get into the wood, shipping pallets and crates that are shipped all around the world. In a way, the bugs are taking free trips, which in turn messes with biodiversity in an ecosystem. The biggest problem with the loss of biodiversity is because people don’t care.