Exeter: A new study reveals that ozone gas is reducing the growth of tropical forests, resulting in a shortfall of 290 million tons of carbon sequestration annually.
The ozone layer in the stratosphere protects our planet from harmful ultraviolet rays, representing a major environmental achievement.
However, ground-level ozone, formed from human activities in the presence of sunlight, interferes with plants’ ability to absorb carbon dioxide and is also harmful to human health.
Published in the journal “Nature Geoscience”, the study estimates that ground-level ozone reduces annual new growth in tropical forests by an average of 5.1%.
In some regions, the effect is more pronounced, with tropical forests in Asia losing 10.9% of new growth.
Tropical forests are crucial “carbon sinks,” which absorb and store carbon dioxide that would otherwise remain in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming.
Dr. Alexander Chishman, a co-author of the study from James Cook University and the University of Exeter, noted that tropical forests play a vital role in reducing our carbon dioxide emissions.