Environment

Protecting Air Quality

Remember learning about photosynthesis in school? Plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), use it as they grow, and then respire—or exhale—oxygen. Even pine trees, with their thin needles, use this process as they grow. Humans and animals do the opposite: we breathe in oxygen and exhale CO2.

While exhaling CO2 is natural, there is also unnatural CO2 in our atmosphere. Our modern world uses cars, which burn gasoline. Factories also burn fossil fuels. And our electricity, the appliances we use to heat our homes, and other modern tools burn fossil fuels.

All of this extra CO2 is harmful for the environment because it causes the “greenhouse” that is our atmosphere to remain hotter than it naturally would. The process in which the earth is getting hotter is called climate change.

Trees: A Natural Climate Solution

Trees naturally combat excess CO2 in the atmosphere by absorbing and storing it as they grow. Forestry companies are working with leaders and businesses around the world to increase the carbon capture capacity of our forests.

The video below shows how working forests—forests that are grown for timber production—play a role in reducing CO2 in the atmosphere. How do working forests differ from recreational forests in the way they capture carbon?

Applying What You've Learned

The process in which a tree absorbs and stores CO2 is called sequestration. What happens to the CO2 when a tree dies and rots in the forest? What about when it’s harvested and turned into products?

AIR QUALITY

AIR QUALITY

For a deep dive into the forestry industry's impact on carbon, visit forestcarbondataviz.org.

Rayonier article: Climate Smart Forestry: Is Forest Management a Climate and Carbon Solution?

KEEP EXPLORING FORESTRYCAREERS.COM

Learn more about the Environment and what comes next in the Forestry Lifecycle:

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