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Forests & Trees
Why the Amazon Rainforest Is Not the Lungs of the Earth — But Something Better
Fact 1 of 274%
The Amazon consumes nearly all the oxygen it actually produces.
Dense canopy of the Amazon basin.
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Most people believe the Amazon fills our lungs, but it actually functions as a closed loop. The oxygen produced by photosynthesis is almost entirely consumed by the respiration of the forest's own organisms.
"The net contribution of the Amazon to the world's oxygen supply is effectively zero."
While it is a massive producer, its status as the 'Lungs of the Earth' is scientifically inaccurate.
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