Question
Here is the question : ALASKA’S TONGASS FOREST STORES MORE OF WHAT THAN ANY OTHER U.S. FOREST?
Option
Here is the option for the question :
- Rare earth elements
- Carbon
- Gold
- Coal
The Answer:
And, the answer for the the question is :
Explanation:
The Tongass National Forest is an extremely important location for the sequestration of carbon and the reduction of the negative consequences of climate change. Its plants and soil work together to make it more effective as a carbon’sink,’ meaning that it removes carbon dioxide from the air and stores it somewhere, thereby contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gases. The carbon sequestered on these 16.7 million acres is higher than that of any other national forest in the United States.
Alaska’s Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the United States and is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species. What sets Tongass apart from other national forests, however, is its remarkable ability to store carbon.
Tongass National Forest is a temperate rainforest, with cool, wet weather that supports the growth of a wide variety of tree species. The forest is dominated by massive stands of old-growth trees, including Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and Alaska yellow cedar, some of which are over 1,000 years old.
These old-growth trees are particularly effective at storing carbon. As they grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their biomass, their roots, and the soil. These carbon stores can remain in the forest for centuries, or even millennia, making old-growth forests like Tongass an important tool for mitigating climate change.
In fact, Tongass National Forest stores more carbon per acre than any other national forest in the United States, and is one of the most important carbon sinks in the country. According to a study conducted by the Forest Service, Tongass stores an estimated 44 billion metric tons of carbon in its trees and soil.
Unfortunately, Tongass is also threatened by human activities such as logging, mining, and oil and gas development. These activities not only release carbon into the atmosphere, but also destroy the forest’s ability to store carbon in the future.
Efforts are underway to protect and preserve Tongass National Forest for future generations. In 2020, the U.S. Forest Service announced that it would reinstate protections for old-growth trees in the forest, which had been rolled back under the previous administration. Additionally, community organizations and local residents are working to raise awareness about the importance of the forest and the need to protect it.
Tongass National Forest is a remarkable and vital ecosystem that plays a critical role in mitigating climate change. Its ability to store carbon makes it an essential tool for addressing the global climate crisis, and its old-growth trees and diverse plant and animal species make it a unique and valuable part of the United States National Forest System. By working to protect and preserve Tongass, we can help to ensure a brighter future for both the forest and the planet as a whole.