Carbon Cycle

For the past few centuries Earth has been witnessing several environmental problems even-though the ongoing climate change events such as increasing temperature, cloud bursts, frequent cyclones, long and irregular winters and drought have received more attention in the public platforms. These extreme climatic events have challenged the physical, mental and economic health of humans and made them to think and speak out. This realisation has been following by several agencies making efforts to mitigate the climate change impacts. It is known that global warming is the result of the incessant release of greenhouse gases especially carbon dioxide (CO₂) from several sectors especially from automobile and associated industries triggering the extreme climatic events. Earlier the natural forests cover and oceans absorbed the enormous quantities of CO₂ released in the environment. However, continuous deforestation and other anthropogenic pressures prevailing in and around the ocean and forest have slowed down the carbon sequestration potential of these systems. Natural forests evolve due to the constant interplay of inter and intra species alongwith unique environmental conditions and play an important role in mitigating the greenhouse gases to a large extent, also acting as oxygen factories. However, in comparison, tropical and savannah forests produce a more oxygen than other forests. Studies have established that the natural regeneration potential of the forest has been decreasing due to continuous deforestation. Ecologists opine that the restoration of natural forests is the ideal way to overcome the global warming impacts. However, restoration of natural forest is a herculean task and almost impossible. The diminishing forest cover affects the life-forms and also carbon storage and oxygen production which might speed-up the global warming process, and so researchers and policymakers encourage afforestation programmes in order to mitigate the global warming.