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Acrobatic-Rate4271 t1_iudyzdp wrote

Reply to comment by jeoeker531 in Ozone Hole Continues Shrinking in 2022, NASA and NOAA Scientists Say | Annual Antarctic ozone hole over the South Pole was slightly smaller than last year and generally continued the overall shrinking trend of recent years. by yourSAS

I wonder how acidification of the oceans will affect phytoplankton...

https://news.mit.edu/2015/ocean-acidification-phytoplankton-0720

Oh... so we may want to start planting trees. A lot of trees...

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jeoeker531 t1_iuhn931 wrote

We do… the US has more trees now than it did 100 years ago

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Acrobatic-Rate4271 t1_iuib4dn wrote

That's mostly because originally logging didn't replant trees and so a hundred years ago our tree stock was down from previous levels. States began legislating that logging required replanting so we're starting to get back to pre-logging levels but a plane flight over states like Oregon will give you an idea of just what clearcutting did to our forests before replanting was required by law.

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jeoeker531 t1_iuieqkq wrote

Regardless there’s a net gain of trees on earth

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Acrobatic-Rate4271 t1_iuihiew wrote

Yes, it's good that we're planting trees but something to keep in mind is that photosynthesis (the reaction that consumes CO2 and produces O2) occurs in the leaves so older, more mature trees consume more CO2 and product more oxygen than younger trees. Even with replanting, the cutting of old growth trees and rain forests results in a net loss in CO2 capture and conversion to O2 unless your replanting significantly more trees than you're cutting. This also ignores the loss of undergrowth associated with logging.

I'm not saying we need to stop all logging, just pointing out that it's not as straightforward as it seems on initial inspection.

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