Trees Release Terpenes, a Cloud-thickening Chemical

If you delve deeper into the world of tress and shrubs around us, then you will find more reasons as to why we need to protect the existent forest cover in the world and why we need more trees to make the planet a better place.

Till recently scientists believed that trees countered the phenomenon of global warming by just absorbing the carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. In effect, reduction of carbon emissions was their only contribution towards cooling the planet.

But a new study indicates that there is a lot more going on than meets the eye!

Trees release a chemical called Terpenes which helps form aerosols by reacting with particles in the atmosphere. These aerosols ensure that the clouds form thicker than normal.

Dominick Spracklen, of the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science at Leeds University, the brain behind the research, says that his team found this effect prevalent in boreal forests across northern regions such as Canada, Scandinavia and Russia. The release of Terpenes ensured clouds doubled in thickness some 1,000m above the forests, and could reflect an extra 5% sunlight back into space.

In fact, it is these Terpenes that give pine forests their unique aroma and scientists now believe that this effect would surely go a long way in slowing down the effects of global warming. A 5% of additional sunlight being reflected back into space is actually a huge difference and this can cause a cooling effect that can effectively combat global warming.

Any other conclusion than being good stewards to the planet and not steal its forest? We need to plant more trees. It’s a fact!

Source : The Guardian

Image courtesy of uBookworn

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