Thread: Amazon rain forest oxygen production?

Hey, I've looked at several sites looking for the percentage of the earth's oxygen that the amazon rain forest. They all say a different number. Some say 50% of the earth's oxygen is provided by the amazon rain forest, some say 60%... the range I've seen so far is from 20% to 78%. Anyone have a reliable source for me? Is it just that hard to figure out the real number? Thanks for any input.

http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/r...id=daily_lives


But just in case you cant find it,

["More than 20% of the world’s oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforest."]

or


www.google.com

keyword: rainforest o2 production

3rd link down.

no prob. - i do what i can




-deuce deuce

KraZy

AFAIK ~70% is marine origin (not even counting oxygen reused there). So 20% Amazon can't be right. We tried a closed ecosystem, and the rainforest portion starved the air for oxygen. Sure the trees put out some, but natural forest floor decomposition claimed more.

I understand a desire to "save the rainforest". There are better arguments than oxygen.

The website is that of an activist organization and I'd not take it as fact.

What are the actual measurments - the relevant publications?

The Amazon rainforest is almost in equilibrium. That means that the oxygen emitted and CO2 taken in are close to equalling oxygen consumed and CO2 emitted. It is not quite in balance, since there is some biomass exported, or stored in soils, which means a slight net emission of oxygen and a slight net absorption of CO2.

However, the amount of oxygen emitted as a global fraction is very small.

The forests that produce the greatest net amount of oxygen are those that are still growing. An increase in biomass equals oxygen emitted and CO2 absorbed. This is one reason why it is so important to plant trees.

Originally Posted by skeptic

This is one reason why it is so important to plant trees.

...and harvest them for lumber. :-D

Thanks skeptic - can you provide the ref for that?

Whatever the percentages, the Russian Taiga boreal forests produce more oxygen than the Amazon rainforest.

Total forest area (millions of ha.)
Russia: 764
Brazil: 566
Canada: 247
U.S.A.: 210
China: 134
Indonesia: 116
Zaire: 113
Nordic countries: 53
All other: 1239

Does forested area equate to oxygen "production"? Different flora, different climate perhaps other factors - are these significant?

As skeptic said, no. I originally heard this from that old Discovery Channel series "Planet Earth" and probably shouldn't be getting my info exclusively from tv. I just provided the forested area chart as a useful refrence.

To kukhri
Forested area is only one factor determining contribution to oxygen release. Other factors include vigor of plant growth (more in rain forests) and whether the forest is growing or is at a climax state.

Per acre, the most oxygen release comes from a young, growing tropical rainforest.

Originally Posted by skeptic

whether the forest is growing or is at a climax state

E.g. was the land formerly covered by ice sheet.

"Marine origin" is right. Pretty much all of the Earth's oxygen comes from the top few inches of the sea. Phytoplankton. The Amazon doesn't enter into it.