Trees are the exclusive source of large amounts of atmospheric oxygen
Trees are not the exclusive source of large amounts of atmospheric oxygen; marine phytoplankton and oceanic primary productivity contribute roughly half of the global total.
The claim states that trees are the exclusive source of large amounts of atmospheric oxygen, which is factually incorrect because marine phytoplankton and other oceanic autotrophs contribute roughly half of the global gross primary productivity and oxygen production. Papers [1] and [2] directly refute the notion of exclusivity by highlighting the massive role of marine primary productivity.
Sigrún Huld Jónasdóttir. Fatty Acid Profiles and Production in Marine Phytoplankton. 2019. https://doi.org/10.3390/md17030151
Paper [0] discusses marine phytoplankton as primary producers that fix carbon and support marine food webs.
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P. Crockford, Yinon M. Bar On, L. M. Ward, Ron Milo, Itay Halevy. The geologic history of primary productivity.. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.09.040
Paper [1] notes that modern estimates show terrestrial and marine realms contribute near-equal amounts to global gross primary productivity.
M. Liang, A. Laskar, E. Barkan, S. Newman, M. Thiemens, R. Rangarajan. New constraints of terrestrial and oceanic global gross primary productions from the triple oxygen isotopic composition of atmospheric CO2 and O2. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29389-z
Paper [2] constrains gross primary productivities of both terrestrial and oceanic biospheres, highlighting significant oceanic contributions to global carbon and oxygen cycles.
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