Is Reforestation a Savior Against Global

Warming?

By Jaime Barrios Alonso

Background

For millions of years, the Earth’s atmosphere has evolved along with the organisms within it. To this day, CO2 has been an important factor to keep the planet warm. However, how warm is enough? As history goes, CO2 levels have fluctuated, and due to human impact, the quantity of gases has been increasing at a dangerous pace.

Background

The chain of events have caused temperatures to spike and the overall global temperature to rise, which can prove dangerous for the ecosystems and many communities around the world. As demonstrated by research in 2016, the equatorial borders of the earth were not only the warmest than anywhere else in the entire world at that time, but these areas were also expanding. The importance of this matter is not only how those areas’ climate is highly affected, but also the aftermath left to proximal areas that will become warmer.

Background

In the midst of uncertainty on how to fight the emission of carbon dioxide without affecting a lifestyle that highly depends on fossil fuels, many have pronounced trees as a total solution to all that has been introduced to the atmosphere. While this remains partially true, the question remains to be answered is:

Could reforestation be a savior against global warming?

Previous Findings

A researcher's results found within 14 years of study, made the observations to remark how the ecological sensitivity was less in areas of vast vegetation including tropical forests, coniferous forests, among other ecosystems. While each area encountered its challenges, the relative contribution to take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere was highly concentrated in highly forested areas.

New Environment = New Adaptations

The new environment has led for many plants to generate adaptation to warmer climates and higher water storage; on the other hand, many other species of plants have been jeopardized by the same reason without a chance to adapt as quickly to support the stress produced by the changes in temperature. Scientists have begun to notice some of these traits that could potentially be implanted into other organisms for higher fitness and survival against extreme weather conditions.

Too good to be true?

As good as many of those adaptations and possible outcomes of genetically engineered organisms might seem, the fact remains that while vegetation can contribute to the fight against global warming, the scale remains short to the increasing amount of carbon dioxide being liberated. Therefore, how much can forests actually offer?

Trees can only buy time

Beside their CO2 intake, trees also emit chemicals that could slightly affect air pollution. It is understandable on how people focused on the ability of forests to regulate temperatures. However, the fact of rapid and extensive planting of trees can be risky and prove not as helpful as it might seem. As described by Kristofer Cover, an environmental scientist from New York, methane could be found “waking from non-wetland trees in temperate forests” . Then, the benefits that trees provide could only be outmatched by their own disadvantages. Thus, there is a need for having a more reasonable strategy to regulate the emission of gasses into the air than just planting trees.

GMO’s vs Global Warming

GMO’s could potentially be developed for new features within the species that could potentially improved their resistance to extreme climates, but they could increase some vegetation’s CO2 consumption. While no further research has been done on the identification of transcription factors that could benefit more carbon dioxide consumption in a higher number of species, it could prove to be beneficial in the fight against global warming by providing more time until other more sustainable energy sources are explored.

Conclusion

As a final observation with all things considered, forests and vegetation could prove as a very important ally as temperatures keep rising but only as a way to slightly refrain without stopping the increasing concentration levels of carbon dioxide. Plants have proven to be adapting to their weather conditions but who knows when their limit could be reached. Even on genetically modified organisms, the future remains uncertain on how this battle could be fought without looking for a better alternative that brings balance to the necessary gas levels in the air while maintaining the right temperature for species around the world to thrive.

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