Every year over 105 km2 of forest area is lost to human activity. This is about one seventh the area of Texas as shown on the map in red. Each km2 of forest removes about 280,000 kg (280 tons) of carbon from the atmosphere per year. If our planet currently has 19.4 x 106 km2 of forest area, how many tons of carbon do the forests remove in one year?

To solve this problem, we need to calculate how much carbon the current forest area on the planet removes from the atmosphere in one year.

### Step-by-Step Calculation:

1. **Current Forest Area:**
   \[
   19.4 \times 10^6 \text{ km}^2
   \]

2. **Carbon Removal per km²:**
   \[
   280,000 \text{ kg/km}^2 = 280 \text{ tons/km}^2
   \]

3. **Total Carbon Removal:**
   To find the total amount of carbon removed by all the forests in one year, we multiply the total forest area by the amount of carbon removed per km²:
   \[
   \text{Total carbon removed} = \text{Forest area} \times \text{Carbon removal per km}^2
   \]

   \[
   = 19.4 \times 10^6 \text{ km}^2 \times 280 \text{ tons/km}^2
   \]

   \[
   = 5,432 \times 10^6 \text{ tons}
   \]

Therefore, the forests remove approximately \(5.432 \times 10^9\) tons of carbon from the atmosphere per year.

### Conclusion:

The planet's forests currently remove about 5.432 billion tons of carbon from the atmosphere each year.

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Would you like more details on any part of this calculation, or do you have any questions?

### Related Questions:

1. How does deforestation impact the global carbon cycle?
2. What are the major causes of forest loss worldwide?
3. How does reforestation contribute to carbon sequestration?
4. What role do tropical forests play in carbon storage compared to temperate forests?
5. How can sustainable forestry practices help mitigate climate change?
6. What are some effective methods to reduce deforestation globally?
7. How is the carbon storage capability of forests measured scientifically?
8. What impact does forest loss have on biodiversity?

### Tip:

Encouraging and supporting reforestation efforts can significantly enhance the planet's natural ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere, helping combat climate change.

Learn how to calculate the annual carbon removal by forests using the given forest area and carbon removal rate per square kilometer. This problem involves area calculations and multiplication, providing insights into environmental impact. Suitable for students in Grades 6-8.

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