The quality f air that we breathe in today has significantly reduced over the years. Atmospheric air contains nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and rare inert gases.
Of these, the two highly inevitable ones are oxygen and carbon dioxide. Theses are important for the survival of life n the planet: 02 is useful for animals and CO2 for photosynthesis in plants. The quality of these gases is determined by availability and its pollution-free state. Both factors have contributed to the present unfavorable status quo of these gases with respect to the sustenance of life on the planet.
THE TREND
Many conferences have held in nations of the world; quite a handful of International Summit have held to address the prevalent menace of environmental pollution that threatens all lives on the Earth. Daily, the number of endangered species increase, and many plants and animals have already gone into extinction as a result of the pollution affecting the quality of atmospheric gases available for daily cellular functions.
Human activities such as deforestation and degradation, water pollution through oil spillage and poor river basin development programs have indeed played significantly roles. Besides, exhauist from mechanical equipment and vehicles, gaseous wastes from manufacturing industries, pollution with indiscriminate use of plants chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, etc have contributed to the reduction in the quality of air available to plants. This has affected the produce of plants, and the health of animals including humans.
RECYCLING
One must realize the fact that plants constitute a major recycling pathway for the purification of atmospheric air. Photosynthesis uses sunlight and such inorganic molecules like CO2 to produce organic compounds in the from of glucose. This is consumed by animals to produce CO2. O2 is used in oxidation of food in animals with carbon dioxide as byproduct. This pathway is important in determining the quality of atmospheric CO2 and O2, a byproduct of photosynthesis.
This implies that any process, natural or man-made, that alters this pathway will affect the recycling process and the availability of good quality air for life.
The threat of destruction of rainforest would have tremendous impact on future levels of these gases: It would cause an automatic alteration in the pathway describes above. Plants population would reduce and animals would suffer greatly for this. As a result of this imbalance, atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide would change accordingly.
CONCLUSION
The quality of atmospheric oxygen and CO2 has changes over the years. The threat of rainforest destruction would worsen the change in the future.
REFERENCES
www.climatechangeissues.com/files/science/Plimer.doc