The Amazon rainforest doesn't produce 20% of the oxygen (2019)
15 hours ago
- #oxygen production
- #climate change
- #Amazon rainforest
- The Amazon rainforest is often called the 'lungs of the Earth,' but its net oxygen contribution is close to zero.
- Scientists estimate the Amazon generates about 16% of oxygen produced on land, but this drops to 9% when including ocean phytoplankton.
- Trees consume oxygen through cellular respiration, balancing out the oxygen they produce during photosynthesis.
- Modern ecosystems, including the Amazon, have minimal impact on atmospheric oxygen levels due to this balance.
- Most of Earth's oxygen comes from phytoplankton in the ocean, accumulated over billions of years.
- The 20% oxygen myth likely stems from the Amazon's contribution to land-based photosynthesis, not atmospheric oxygen.
- The Amazon is crucial for carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and stabilizing rainfall cycles in South America.
- Deforestation and climate change threaten the Amazon's biodiversity and its role in mitigating climate change.
- The 'lungs of the Earth' analogy is symbolic but scientifically inaccurate, as actual lungs inhale oxygen.