🌍 Forests: Natural CO₂ Sinks
Trees are climate superheroes! Through photosynthesis, they absorb carbon dioxide (COâ‚‚), one of the main greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. This COâ‚‚ is then stored in their trunks, roots, and leaves, sometimes for centuries.
Without forests, COâ‚‚ would accumulate more quickly in the atmosphere, exacerbating the greenhouse effect and driving up temperatures. We therefore refer to them as carbon sinks to describe their ability to absorb this gas.
🌱 Natural air conditioners
Forests don’t just filter the air: they also influence the local climate! By releasing water vapor through their leaves (a phenomenon called evapotranspiration), they cool the air and promote rainfall. If you’ve ever walked into a forest in summer, you’ve surely felt that natural coolness under the trees!
🔥 When forests disappear, the climate goes haywire
Unfortunately, deforestation and wildfires are disrupting these natural balances. When a tree is cut down or burned, the COâ‚‚ it stored is released into the air, contributing to global warming. That is why preserving and restoring forests is a vital solution to climate change.
🎒 Activities to do in the classroom or outdoors
📌 In the classroom: “Journey to the Heart of the Carbon Cycle” (Grades 3–6)
· Objective: To understand how forests store CO₂ and why their destruction exacerbates global warming.
· Materials: drawings, diagrams, or models (playdough, paper, etc.).
· Procedure: My students create a simplified diagram of the carbon cycle and simulate what happens when trees are cut down (decreased CO₂ absorption, increased CO₂ in the air).
🌳 Outdoors: “Trees: Our Natural Air Conditioning”
· Objective: To observe the impact of trees on temperature and humidity.
· Equipment: thermometers and hygrometers (or mobile apps).
· Procedure: Measure the temperature and humidity in the shade of the trees and in an area without vegetation. Compare the results and discuss the effect of forests on the local climate.
🔎 Something to think about: What if each student chose a tree to “sponsor” and observe throughout the seasons? 🌱