THE ROLE OF TREES AND PLANTATION AGRICULTURE IN MITIGATING GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change refers to a paradigm shift in the climatic pattern of a location, region or planet which is linked with average weather components, such as temperature, wind patterns and precipitations. Climate change results in erratic events such as rising global temperature, intensified drought, f...
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| Published in: | African journal of food, agriculture, nutrition, and development : AJFAND Vol. 17; no. 4; pp. 12691 - 12707 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Rural Outreach Program
01-11-2017
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Climate change refers to a paradigm shift in the climatic pattern of a
location, region or planet which is linked with average weather
components, such as temperature, wind patterns and precipitations.
Climate change results in erratic events such as rising global
temperature, intensified drought, flooding, cyclones, low or poor
agricultural productivity, loss of biodiversity and shifting of
seasons. Natural processes such as variations in the intensity of the
sun, eruptions from volcanoes, very slow changes in ocean circulations
and land surfaces can cause this global climate change but human
activities are by far the major causes through the continuous release
of greenhouse gases and aerosols into the atmosphere, by altering land
surfaces, and or depleting the ozone layer. The most environmentally
conservative response to climate change mitigation would be to stop the
consumption of fossil fuels and production of methane and
chlorofluorocarbons; but these options may not be feasible until
alternative technologies emanate. Considering the large amounts of
carbon accumulated as biomass in plantations, extensive planting of
trees, which posses large canopies that are able to capture carbon
dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, could help mitigate the rising
atmospheric CO2 levels. The roles of plantations in mitigating global
climate change are related, but not limited to the following: the
influence of trees on the hydrologic cycle, the barrier against
destructive windstorm and desertification, conservation of the soil
surface against erosion and intense heat, binding action of the dense
root system, sustainable biodiversity, provision of renewable and
bioenergy, nutritious food, employment, and rural income, and the
reservoir of sequestered carbon. There is an urgent need to properly
integrate trees and plantations in our agricultural systems, homes,
institutions, markets, parks and other public places. This would not
only help to reduce the build-up of carbondioxide and other atmospheric
impurities but also increase the produce from plantation crops in a
locality thereby mitigating against food insecurity and poverty. |
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| ISSN: | 1684-5358 1684-5374 1684-5374 |
| DOI: | 10.18697/ajfand.80.15500 |