Which one of the following is not a matter of global concern in the removal of…
2013
Which one of the following is not a matter of global concern in the removal of tropical forests?
Answer: A. Their ability to absorb the chemicals that contribute to depletion of the ozone layer. — ConceptA consequence of deforestation is a global concern when the loss of forest functions alters planetary biogeochemical cycles, climate regulation, or…
- A.
Their ability to absorb the chemicals that contribute to depletion of the ozone layer.
- B.
Their role in maintaining the oxygen and carbon balance of the Earth.
- C.
Their ability to regulate surface and air temperatures, moisture content, and reflectivity.
- D.
Their contribution to the biological diversity of the planet.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept
A consequence of deforestation is a global concern when the loss of forest functions alters planetary biogeochemical cycles, climate regulation, or biodiversity.
The key test is to separate functions that tropical forests actually perform from an atmospheric problem governed by a different mechanism.
Application
Tropical forests exchange and store carbon, influence oxygen cycling, regulate heat and moisture through canopy cover and evapotranspiration, affect surface reflectivity, and support exceptional biological diversity. Their removal therefore affects the carbon cycle, climate system, and biodiversity at a global scale. Ozone-layer depletion, however, is driven mainly by chlorine from CFCs and bromine from compounds such as halons; tropical forests are not the sink whose removal controls those chemicals.
Contrast
Absorbing ozone-depleting chemicals: ozone loss is governed primarily by atmospheric halogen chemistry and emission controls, not by this forest function.
Oxygen and carbon balance: photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and carbon stored in biomass connect forests to global biogeochemical cycles.
Temperature, moisture, and reflectivity: canopy cover and evapotranspiration influence energy and water exchanges between land and atmosphere.
Biological diversity: tropical forests contain rich species and habitat diversity, so their loss has worldwide conservation consequences.
Cross-check
The statements about oxygen and carbon cycling, heat and moisture regulation, surface reflectivity, and biodiversity describe established forest functions with global effects; the ozone-depleting-chemical statement belongs to a separate atmospheric mechanism.
Result
Therefore, the statement about absorbing chemicals that deplete the ozone layer is the one that is not a global concern associated with tropical-forest removal.