Rainforests & Global Climate

Question 1

A village near a rainforest decides to cut down 10 big trees to use the wood for building homes. After the houses are built, the wood slowly breaks down. Which statement best describes what happens to the amount of carbon dioxide in the air?

Accepted Answer

The carbon that was stored in the trees is released as CO₂ when the wood decays, and the forest also loses those trees’ ability to absorb CO₂, so atmospheric CO₂ goes up.

Answer

The carbon stays locked inside the wood forever, so the amount of CO₂ in the air does not change.

Answer

Cutting the trees releases extra oxygen, which removes CO₂ from the air and cools the climate.

Answer

The remaining forest immediately absorbs extra CO₂ to replace the lost trees, so there is no net change in atmospheric CO₂.

Question 2

Scientists found that after half of a rainforest’s trees were cut down, the nearby town received less rain. Which explanation best describes why the rain decreased?

Accepted Answer

Fewer trees release less water vapor through transpiration, so fewer clouds form and less rain falls.

Answer

With fewer trees, more sunlight warms the ground, causing the air to hold more water and stop rain from forming.

Answer

The cut trees had been using up the rain, so without them the rain disappears.

Answer

Removing the trees changes wind direction, bringing dry desert air that prevents rain.

Question 3

The town of Sunvale clears 5 hectares of rainforest to build a new playground. The workers cut down the trees and set the trunks and branches on fire. Which statement best explains how this action changes the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and why it can speed up climate change?

Accepted Answer

The fire turns the carbon in the wood into carbon dioxide, which goes into the air, and the missing trees can no longer take up carbon, so more greenhouse gas stays in the sky, warming the planet.

Answer

The fire changes the carbon into harmless stone that stays on the ground, and the trees that are gone stop producing oxygen, but that does not affect the amount of carbon in the air.

Answer

Cutting the trees removes carbon from the atmosphere forever, and the fire only creates extra oxygen that helps cool the Earth.

Answer

The ash left after the fire holds all the carbon, so it stays in the soil and does not affect the air, while the missing trees will grow back quickly and keep the climate the same.

Try three questions

A village near a rainforest decides to cut down 10 big trees to use the wood for building homes. After the houses are built, the wood slowly breaks down. Which statement best describes what happens to the amount of carbon dioxide in the air?

Scientists found that after half of a rainforest’s trees were cut down, the nearby town received less rain. Which explanation best describes why the rain decreased?

The town of Sunvale clears 5 hectares of rainforest to build a new playground. The workers cut down the trees and set the trunks and branches on fire. Which statement best explains how this action changes the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and why it can speed up climate change?

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