Climatic Implications of Tropical & Boreal Deforestation

This topic submitted by Melissa Hamann and Dave Smith ( hamannmm@muohio.edu ) on 3/8/04 .

Global Climate Change -Western Program-Miami University

The purpose of our research is to find relationships between deforestation and global climate change while also exploring the affects global climate change has on forests. Specifically, we will be comparing and contrasting two different forest biomes, tropical forests and boreal forests. Our primary research question surrounds the ability of these forest types to sequester atmospheric gases and tolerate increased temperatures due to climate change. We plan to find evidence supporting a correlation between tropical and boreal deforestation with climate change, particularly on a regional basis. Our research is focused on data regarding deforestation and climate change in the forms of studies on forest fragmentation, changes in plant physiology, biodiversity, affects on soil, and changes in carbon fluxes. Data obtained through published means will connect with the topic of global climate change by attempting to show evidence of how both the cutting and clearing of tropical and boreal forests along with the increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere induced by humans is causing regional changes in climate, and at the same time causing these forest ecosystems to adapt to these changes. Our data will be statistically tested via studentized t-tests. We will be sure to draw correlations and develop the relationships between the forested regions and cleared areas to the variables being tested. In Oxford, OH, we will place data loggers in forested, deforested, and forest edge zones. These zones represent the spectrum of vegetation cover and how temperatures, evaporation, wind exposure, etc. effect each zoneÕs forest microcosm. For one week after foliage has developed, we will collect data daily from these loggers. Experimental Oxford data will be compared with tropical and boreal data.

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