How South Africa’s Mangrove Forests Store Carbon and Why It Matters
Scientists around the world are looking for ways to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This gas is a natural component of the atmosphere, released by processes of respiration and decomposition of organic matter.
But human activities that involve the burning of fossil fuels such as coal have released a lot of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s.
The accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is directly linked to global warming. Climate-related risks for the environment and for human societies have been observed in the form of increased mean temperatures and a higher frequency at which extreme events – heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, floods, and storms—are occurring around the world.
One of the natural ways that carbon dioxide can be taken out of the atmosphere is the process of photosynthesis by plants. Plants absorb carbon dioxide, use the carbon for their growth, and release the oxygen back into the air. mangr