A family travels from New York City to Costa Rica three times a year for a vacation. The family would like to purchase some forested land in the Catskills, keeping the trees intact as an offset to the carbon dioxide they produce travelling each year. How much forest must they purchase? Use the following assumptions to measure the carbon offset provided by this intact forest. • The biomass of the forest increases at an annual rate of 2.8 × 105 kg/ha. • The forest biomass is 45% carbon by mass. • There are four people in the family. • 0.2 kg of CO2 is produced each mile per person on the flight. • The round-trip distance is 4,500 miles. • There are 2.47 acres in one hectare. 1. Calculate the mass of carbon, in kilograms, that is accumulated and stored in 1.0 ha of this forest in one year. 2. Calculate the mass of carbon, in kilograms, that is emitted by the family as a result of their round-trip flights to Costa Rica each year. 3. Calculate the number of acres of forest that must be conserved in order to offset the carbon released in the three trips taken by this family.
A family travels from New York City to Costa Rica three times a year for a vacation. The family would like to purchase some forested land in the Catskills, keeping the trees intact as an offset to the carbon dioxide they produce travelling each year. How much forest must they purchase?
Use the following assumptions to measure the carbon offset provided by this intact forest.
• The biomass of the forest increases at an annual rate of 2.8 × 105 kg/ha.
• The forest biomass is 45% carbon by mass.
• There are four people in the family.
• 0.2 kg of CO2 is produced each mile per person on the flight.
• The round-trip distance is 4,500 miles.
• There are 2.47 acres in one hectare.
1. Calculate the mass of carbon, in kilograms, that is accumulated and stored in 1.0 ha of this forest in one year.
2. Calculate the mass of carbon, in kilograms, that is emitted by the family as a result of their round-trip flights to Costa Rica each year.
3. Calculate the number of acres of forest that must be conserved in order to offset the carbon released in the three trips taken by this family.
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