HUMAN IMPACTS
What have humans done to area? How does it relate to economy?
Humans are chopping down trees for timber. The logging industry is then taking the wood from the trees and processing it to make products such as paper, tires, charcoal, waxes, etc. for everyday human consumption. This results in short-term economic gain, but the destruction of the trees in the temperate rainforests has many negative effects on the environment. By wiping out a considerable amount of trees, humans have decreased the amount of oxygen, and increased the amount of carbon dioxide present in the air. This has also resulted in a decline in plant and animal species because their habitats are being destroyed.
What can people do to preserve the area?
People can stop cutting down so many trees to improve the temperate rainforests' situation. By slowing down deforestation, people can help the air stay cool and moist. This will make temperate rainforests a safer and healthier place for plants and animals to thrive. Humans can also practice reforestation, which is when the depleted forest areas are restored. Completely ending deforestation would be the most beneficial solution, but financial realities cause this resolve to be rather futile.
How is climate change affecting this area?
As mentioned above, when humans cut down trees, the amount of carbon dioxide in the environment increases. Carbon dioxide builds up and produces a layer in the atmosphere. This layer captures radiation from the sun, which is converted and released on Earth as heat. This process is known as the greenhouse effect, which contributes significantly to global warming. These warmer temperatures could result in a higher risk of drought. These droughts would weaken, and maybe even defoliate, the trees, thus making them more susceptible to wildfires. In addition, the increased temperatures would melt snow quicker, so the length of the growing seasons and the availability of water would be altered, and there would be an increased risk of flooding.
How is pollution affecting this area?
Pollution is a growing problem in the temperate rainforests. Air pollution can sometimes cause acid rain, so the trees and other plants don't receive the rain that they heavily rely on. Acid rain physically damages trees that are the home to hundreds of species. Some of the air pollution is natural, but human activity, such as burning fossil fuels and waste, also has had a large impact on the air pollution found in the temperate rainforests. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established policies to help regulate the amount of pollutants released, and the amount of these harmful air toxins in the environment has been reduced by about 70%.
Humans are chopping down trees for timber. The logging industry is then taking the wood from the trees and processing it to make products such as paper, tires, charcoal, waxes, etc. for everyday human consumption. This results in short-term economic gain, but the destruction of the trees in the temperate rainforests has many negative effects on the environment. By wiping out a considerable amount of trees, humans have decreased the amount of oxygen, and increased the amount of carbon dioxide present in the air. This has also resulted in a decline in plant and animal species because their habitats are being destroyed.
What can people do to preserve the area?
People can stop cutting down so many trees to improve the temperate rainforests' situation. By slowing down deforestation, people can help the air stay cool and moist. This will make temperate rainforests a safer and healthier place for plants and animals to thrive. Humans can also practice reforestation, which is when the depleted forest areas are restored. Completely ending deforestation would be the most beneficial solution, but financial realities cause this resolve to be rather futile.
How is climate change affecting this area?
As mentioned above, when humans cut down trees, the amount of carbon dioxide in the environment increases. Carbon dioxide builds up and produces a layer in the atmosphere. This layer captures radiation from the sun, which is converted and released on Earth as heat. This process is known as the greenhouse effect, which contributes significantly to global warming. These warmer temperatures could result in a higher risk of drought. These droughts would weaken, and maybe even defoliate, the trees, thus making them more susceptible to wildfires. In addition, the increased temperatures would melt snow quicker, so the length of the growing seasons and the availability of water would be altered, and there would be an increased risk of flooding.
How is pollution affecting this area?
Pollution is a growing problem in the temperate rainforests. Air pollution can sometimes cause acid rain, so the trees and other plants don't receive the rain that they heavily rely on. Acid rain physically damages trees that are the home to hundreds of species. Some of the air pollution is natural, but human activity, such as burning fossil fuels and waste, also has had a large impact on the air pollution found in the temperate rainforests. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established policies to help regulate the amount of pollutants released, and the amount of these harmful air toxins in the environment has been reduced by about 70%.