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Protect the Forest, Save the Water By: Vaishnavi Vankayala and Soha Anandani Introduction ❏ Forests make a significant contribution to the supply of water. ❏ They provide water for animals and plants living under the huge canopies, allowing organisms to survive and also by protecting biodiversity ❏ Topics: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. -Water Cycle -Photosynthesis -Runoff/erosion -Water Pollution -Aquifers -Rainfall Water Cycle ❖ In leaves, water combines with carbon dioxide and sunlight to make sugar(food)for the tree( photosynthesis). Then, oxygen and water are released through the leaves through a process called transpiration. This moisture contributes to the formation of rain clouds, which release the water back onto the forest. ❖ The soil absorbs precipitation that falls from the clouds, and trees draw water from the soil into their roots to support all of their processes (growth, reproduction, and maintenance) Photosynthesis and growth Trees and plants in our forests perform photosynthesis when carbon dioxide, water, and light energy circulate through the trunk, needles, leaves and flowers. Trees absorb carbon, which makes their wood strong, helping them to grow taller day in and day out and produce oxygen throughout their lifetime. Runoff/Erosion ❖ Forest vegetation exists in several layers of trees, shrubs, and smaller plants ❖ Vegetation provides surface area that can collect water during storms ❖ Without forests, there would be increased run-off, topsoil erosion, and flooding of rivers and streams ❖ Run-off in urban settings is often bound with pesticides, fertilizer, and sediment from agricultural lands ❖ As a result, these pollutants enter surface water and jeopardize water quality Water pollution ● ● Various types of pollution can also impair water quality Potential pollutants include excessive concentrations of organic matter (leading to water eutrophication) and agricultural or industrial chemicals. Forest are an appropriate ground cover for drinking-water because…. ❖ they supply watersheds ❖ forestry activities generally use no fertilizers or pesticides and avoid sewage pollution and industrial processes. ❖ non-point source pollution from domestic, industrial and agricultural use can be greatly reduced or even eliminated by maintaining forest buffer zones watercourses. Harvesting trees beside streams can affect water quality by... ❖ reducing shading that regulates water temperature ❖ removing vegetation that stabilizes the streambanks ❖ these changes can harm aquatic life by limiting sources of food, shade and shelter ❖ can pollute water easily Types of water pollution Rainfall ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ Tropical forest- Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, with annual rainfall exceeding 200 cm. Temperate Forests- Precipitation (75-150 cm) is distributed evenly throughout the year Boreal Forests- Precipitation is primarily in the form of snow, 40-100 cm annually. moist conifer and evergreen broad-leaved forests: wet winters and dry summers (rainfall is concentrated in the winter months) dry conifer forests: low precipitation. mediterranean forests: precipitation is concentrated in winter, less than 100 cm per year. temperate coniferous: mild winters, high annual precipitation temperate broad-leaved rainforests: mild, frost-free winters, high precipitation Floods ➔ Floods can negatively impact the forests growth through many ways, such as soil depletion, destruction of plants, and loss of nutrients in the forests ➔ Floods may carry various chemicals that have been picked up as runoff from agricultural fields and other areas or from sewage. The is detrimental to the growth of forests, as chemicals can pollute and release toxins, harming the development of animals and plants who may eat other things or drink water. ➔ Flooding of soil increases the pH of acid soils and decreases the pH of alkaline soils. ➔ Deposits of silt or sand limit the supply of oxygen. ➔ heavy floods can cause soil around the base of the tree to be washed away, exposing tree roots to further damage Aquifers ❖ Aquifer - underground layer of permeable rock from which groundwater can be extracted ❖ Aquifers, which supply our wells and city water systems, provide most of our drinking water ❖ 60% of freshwater in the U.S. comes from forests ❖ Trees in forests catch precipitation, then cleanse and filter it into the soil to recharge our aquifers ❖ Without high canopy trees, water is more likely to face runoff and less likely to dissolve into aquifers Pros ❖ With forests, water is easily accessible to organisms under canopies, helping to maintain biodiversity ❖ Water in forests allows for transpiration and photosynthesis ❖ Forest water involves less runoff and more filtration into aquifers ❖ Forests provide a major part of our drinking water ❖ Gives different species and plants the water they need to survive (some species need more/less)- this can lead to biodiversity as different organisms will be able to thrive with proper nourishment ❖ Natural forests and well-managed plantations can protect drinking-water supplies. Cons ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ pollutants can impair water quality erosion results in higher amounts of sediment runoff high amounts of rainfall can cause floods unsustainable forest practices can affect the quality of the water trees exposed to high levels of air pollution capture sulphur and nitrogen and can increase water acidification. ❖ water shortages can impact forest growth Outlook for the Future ❖ Forests work as a catalyst to the water cycle. Deforestation is leading to less absorption of water and less rainfall, or drought. In turn, the drought conditions make it harder to plant trees because of the hard and dry soil. ❖ In addition, as deforestation occurs, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere builds up. As carbon dioxide increases, heat is trapped in the atmosphere, leading to climate change. ❖ The added pollution in the atmosphere can also lead to acid rain when gases mix with water in the clouds. Acts and Regulations ❏ The 1972 Clean Water Act regulates the release of pollutants into U.S. waterways ❏ The legislation dealt with water pollution by prohibiting the discharge of pollutants unless the discharger obtains a permit from the government. ❏ passed related legislation to ensure that all waters of the United States was clear. ❏ In 1972, Congress passed the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, known as the Ocean Dumping Act, and in 1974 the Safe Drinking Water Act. Extra Info ★ Thinning out a forest can help to reduce the water demand by the trees, but increases erosion and produces holes/gaps in the canopy which removes shade and shelter for other forest species. ★ Maintaining a developed understory layer to protect soil moisture reduces the water requirements of forests, even if many trees are cut down. Bibliography ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ http://csfs.colostate.edu/pages/forests-management.html http://www.pefc.org/forest-issues/sustainability/water https://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/edu/k12/.watercycle http://www.anr.state.vt.us/anr/envrpts/Env99/waterfor.htm http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/forests/threats.cfm