changing of the climate advances with gigantic strides thanks to the intervention of the human hand. This is largely due to the very large amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. Fortunately, thanks to the woods we have natural measures to reduce the amount of this gas in the air. But every year they get lost 10 million hectares of forest due to deforestation. Also human hands. We earn by heart, but at least we try to find solutions. And one of them involves observing the forests from space thanks to laser beams installed on board the ship. International space station.
This is about GEDI project from NASA. Its name comes from the English abbreviation “Global System of Investigation of Dynamics of Ecosystems”. However, it is pronounced the same as “Jedi” and its motto is “May the forests be with you.” Come on, project to the same light side of the Force. But jokes star Wars In addition, it is true that it performs a much needed function.
Thanks to him, you can not only monitor deforestation from space In real time. You can also see how this affects CO2 levels in the atmosphere. In addition, GEDI lasers are not alone. They are supplemented by satellite data obtained in the framework of other projects. Ecosystem Monitoring System (FERM), FAO.
How do trees and CO2 relate to each other?
The question is why it is so necessary to monitor the forests from space and what does this have to do with changing of the climate. Therefore, it is worth remembering what the greenhouse effect is.
This is a necessary phenomenon for the Earth. Our planet has a temperature that allows habitation due to the fact that part of the Earth’s solar radiation, which is reflected from its surface, delayed by a series of gases They act like the walls of a greenhouse. If not for them, the average temperature of the Earth will be -18°C.
The problem is, as with everything in life, we need these gases to be in the atmosphere. Right to. If there are too many of them, much-needed warming starts to become excessive, causing the famous global warming that is so closely related to climate change.
Greenhouse gases are diverse, but carbon dioxide (CO2) This is one of the most important. In the past, it was found in the atmosphere in sufficient quantities. However, traffic, industry, and many other human activities have risen to levels well above what is desired. So much so that the trees can no longer cope.
And it’s that while it may not seem like it, forests play an important role in this balance that we maintained before things got out of control. This is because plants need CO2 to carry out photosynthesis. Trees, with their large size, use a very large amount of this gas, so they absorb it from the atmosphere very efficiently. Or absorbed, because due to deforestation, these collectors of carbon dioxide are becoming less and less. If we add to this emissions continue to risewe will see that the situation is very disturbing.
The Jedi guard the forest with their lightsabers.
To act against a problem, first of all, you must know the problem well. But it is difficult to follow the entire planet from the inside. For this reason, it was decided to do it in space. Thanks to satellite imagery one can have a very rough idea of the deforestation situation.
But beyond that, with GEDI, lasers enter the equation. As explained in BBC one of the project participants Laura DuncansonBy firing a laser at trees, you can analyze the reflected energy and use this data to map forests. In this way, much more accurate information about the changes taking place in forests is obtained, as in tree height, as well as crown density and carbon content.
Because we can’t forget that forests are carbon stores. They sequester the carbon of this CO2 they stole from the atmosphere, keeping it safe. The problem is, if those trees are cut down, some of that carbon goes back into the atmosphere. In fact, it is estimated 20% CO2 emissions It is from deforestation that they enter the atmosphere.
For this reason, GEDI lasers, together with hundreds of satellites which are part of FERM can give us very useful information to know how to respond. They only give us information, we must provide solutions. However, if we want forests to accompany us, then the more data we have about their deterioration, the better.
Source: Hiper Textual
