While the previous two blog posts have highlighted the sources as well as the impacts of plastics on forests, this post will aim to explore a few methods in which these plastics can be removed from forest environments. The simplest thing that everyone can start with right now is to limit, or if possible stop…

Plastics are very commonly used around the world. They get broken down into smaller fragments of microplastics upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation, wind, or water erosion (He at al., 2018). Many of us may be familiar with the plastic problem in oceans and other water bodies, however, they are also evident in forests, particularly within…

The previous post provided a brief outline on how plastics enter forests, in this post, we will be going into more detail about the effects of these plastics. Plastic pollution carries a host of negative impacts on forest ecosystems and forest health. Perhaps the most dangerous of all are microplastics, as these microscopic pieces of…

Whilst the current curriculum in the GE3246 module has covered the discarding and impacts of plastics to marine environments, it is also important to recognise that plastic wastes are also quite commonly seen in forest environments. Plastics definitely carry an appeal for making our lives more convenient – be it the single use disposable cups…

Ozone (O3) as mentioned in our previous blog post is one of the more prevalent air pollutants in our atmosphere. It is formed when Nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from industrial sources or vehicle exhausts enters the atmosphere, and are transformed under photochemical reactions (through heat and sunlight). Ozone is a strong oxidizing…

“Never before have the earth’s ecosystems been so greatly affected by our presence” (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. n.d.). A chilling statement that depicts the extent of damage that has been done by human activities. In 2000, 30% of the world was covered by forests – amassing to about 3,869 million hectares….

This post serves as an extension of the previous one, providing a more detailed overview on understanding the totality of the environment. The Earth consists of different spheres – the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. How pollutants enter each of the different spheres are often not in isolation of each other, and as mentioned before…

With the basics of what forests are and why they are important, today we will be taking a deeper look into how forests are polluted. Some pollutants are naturally occurring – for example: weathering and abrasion of rocks, volcanic eruption, forest fires, and aerosol formation are responsible for the production of heavy metals within the…

Forests are land dominated by trees, in addition to being habitats for a plethora of biodiversity, they provide a range of ecosystem services for humans (as mentioned in previous blog posts). For example, these trees are photosynthetic organisms that produce the essential oxygen for the respiration of all living things on earth. Trees also help…

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, forests are land of more than 0.5 hectares with trees taller than 5 meters and a canopy cover of 10% and more. Agricultural or urban land with these characteristics are not considered forests (Food and Agriculture Organisation, n.d.). There are different types of forest in this world, characterised…