At first glance, forests and oceans look like contrasting ecosystems. One is a tree-filled biome on land, while the other is a saltwater-filled expanse covering most of our planet. But despite their differences, forests and oceans are strongly connected. They depend on each other to be healthy, especially with climate change looming large.
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As the impacts of climate change and other human activities become more and more severe, we must learn how best to protect forests so that they continue to sequester carbon. Understanding forests is the most important part of learning how to protect and maintain them, which is why scientists and researchers have arrived at an essential question: Why do old growth forests sequester more carbon than newer forests?
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As climate change continues to intensify and we approach the point of no return, it’s imperative to face the problem head-on, to truly look at it for what it is. Despite all the efforts made by activists, many countries show no signs of showing meaningful progress to alleviate the problem that is climate change as more and more forests are being cut down to be transformed into land for human development. It has gotten to the point where every second, a soccer field’s worth of forest—-1.76 acres—-is cut down (Carrington et al., 2018). Many of these trees can’t simply be replaced by planting new ones.
Have you ever wondered what connects trees and fish? On November 3rd, 2022, students from Tamalpais High School and Archie Williams High’s SEADISC program (Students of the Environmental Academy Doing Integrated Science Curricula) explored the fascinating connections between oceans and forests. Students met with representatives from three exciting organizations: WellKind, the Salmon Protection and Watershed Network (SPAWN), and the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive.
The Archangel Ancient Tree Archive taught them about seed banks and cloning old-growth trees, and SPAWN taught them how salmon reproduce through spawning. Then, those topics were combined. The students learned about how salmon bring nutrients up from the ocean, and how once they die after spawning, those nutrients are absorbed by the soil and tree roots, eventually aiding in tree growth.
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As Anton Chekhov once wrote, “Life on earth is inconceivable without trees.” His words ring just as true for oceans as it does for the land. It may not be obvious, but trees play a critical role in maintaining waterways and oceans.
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