The Carbon Sink Chronicles: Tropical Rainforests as Climate Saviors

Welcome back, eco-adventurers! In our last blog entry, we examined the marvels of the rainforest in the tropics. With this in mind, we proceed to explore how closely related these rainforests are to the climatic regulation process. Buckle up as you are going to embark on an intriguing insight into how they contribute towards the stable climate of our world!

The Role of Tropical Rainforests as Carbon Sinks

Carbon sink refers to any process or system that absorbs carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the atmosphere. According to UNFCCC, which was signed in 1992, a carbon sink is any method, activity or device that removes or absorbs GHGs, aerosols or components contributing to GHGs from the atmosphere. Similarly, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol cited the value of carbon sinks; they advocated for using them to neutralize carbon emissions (Akanle & Tomi 2023).

Forests are usually referred to as carbon sinks which are places that absorb more carbon than they release out. Through the process of photosynthesis, they constantly withdraw carbon from the atmosphere (National Geographic 2023). The tropical forests act as one of the major mechanisms to remove carbon dioxide from the air thus decreasing the earth’s temperature. Nevertheless, a study shows that their ability to absorb and hold carbon dioxide accounts for only about two-thirds of their cooling effect. The remaining one-third of them have a cooling effect through their ability to produce clouds and increase the moisture content of air as well as releasing various cooling substances (Kreier 2022).

This is a short video from ACCIONA to give you some quick info about carbon sinks.

The Carbon Cycle in Tropical Rainforests

In this section, let us explore more details about how tropical rainforests act as carbon sinks. First of all, let's get some idea about the carbon cycle. The carbon cycle in tropical rainforests is based on a vast number of plants that absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. The carbon is used in plants, only to be released into the environment through a plant’s respiration, death, or burning. Rainwater that runs into the ground eventually forms as sediments under bodies of water. If the rainforest is harvested for a long time, such can result in fossil fuels being formed. Carbon is transferred from producers to consumers in the food chain through consumption by animals as well. During respiration in animals or death, carbon is released which enters into the cycle and is absorbed by photosynthesizing plants in the air (Tropical Rainforest Biome 2023).

Here's another short video that summarises the carbon cycle from MSU FCCP

That's all the things I want to share with you in this blog and I hope it can help you to know more about the relationship between tropical rainforests and climate regulation. In my next blog, we are going deeper into tropical rainforests and seeing how their biodiversity affects climate regulation.