I have always heard that the rainforest is “carbon neutral” because a mature forest will emit just as much carbon as it absorbs. With that in mind, why does the

I have always heard that the rainforest is “carbon neutral” because a mature forest will emit just as much carbon as it absorbs. With that in mind, why does the fact that the rainforest produces 20% of the worlds oxygen matter? When I read the above claim I felt like it was trying to push the “rainforests save the atmosphere” angle and I do not know how accurate this sentiment is. It goes without saying that cutting down the rainforest would release a lot of CO2 and should not be done for many reasons. I am just curious what the significance of producing “20% of the world’s oxygen” is. Or, what does the rainforest do for the atmosphere besides act as a huge carbon bank?