Are tropical rain forests carbon sinks? Why or why not? Be sure to include a definition of carbon sink in your answer.

Yes. A tropical rainforest would be considered a carbon sink.

 A carbon sink is a natural environment, such as an ocean or forest, that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases into the atmosphere. A carbon sink is the opposite of a carbon source. A carbon source is something that releases more carbon than it absorbs.

 According to the Maine Climate News of the University of Maine, the soils of tropical rainforests...

Yes. A tropical rainforest would be considered a carbon sink.

 A carbon sink is a natural environment, such as an ocean or forest, that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases into the atmosphere. A carbon sink is the opposite of a carbon source. A carbon source is something that releases more carbon than it absorbs.

 According to the Maine Climate News of the University of Maine, the soils of tropical rainforests contain nearly 30% of total global soil carbon stocks. Additionally, tropical rainforests contain many trees and other plants. Plants use carbon dioxide to photosynthesize. Photosynthesis is the process by which autotrophs use sunlight energy to convert carbon dioxide gas and water into a sugar that is called glucose and oxygen gas.

 In the same article published by the Maine Climate News, a scientist by the name of Sayer cautions that rainforests may not continue to be the world’s reservoir of carbon. Sayer suggests that the increased carbon emission by fossil fuels increases the rate of photosynthesis in trees. Thus, trees produce more leaves that add to the litter on the base of a rainforest’s floor. This litter is then decomposed by decomposing microbes. Carbon dioxide is released as a result of this decomposition. As Sayer explains, “this ‘priming’ of the microbes with an influx of easily decomposable material could disproportionally increase the net amount of carbon dioxide emitted from a given stand of trees.”

 Additionally, a tropical rainforest would no longer be able to absorb as much carbon if its trees have been cut down or killed by natural means such as a drought.