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Green
plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen
during photosynthesis
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How do trees help our atmosphere?
When petroleum and other fossil fuels
are burned, as in automobiles, factories, and your
furnace at home, carbon dioxide is
released into the atmosphere. Trees improve the
quality of our atmosphere by consuming carbon dioxide
and releasing oxygen during photosynthesis.
Young, rapidly growing forests
are generally the most efficient at absorbing carbon
dioxide and producing oxygen. Because older trees
do not grow as rapidly, and because dead trees actually
use oxygen and release carbon dioxide as they decay,
old overcrowded forests tend to use more oxygen than
they produce.
Foresters help by systematically thinning
overcrowded forests and removing dead and dying
trees. This makes forests healthier, and reduces
the likelihood of wildfires which can release huge
amounts of carbon dioxide and particles into the
atmosphere.
Did you know?
To grow a pound of wood, a typical
tree consumes about 1 1/2 pounds of carbon dioxide
and releases a little over a pound of oxygen. Altogether,
U.S. forests remove about 9% of the country's total
carbon dioxide emissions from the air.
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