The Delicate Balance: Plants, Carbon Dioxide, and the Future of Our Planet
According to the majority of middle school science curriculums in the US, carbon dioxide has been the long love of plants for as long as society has known it. If this is true, would plants thrive in a carbon-infested environment that humans have built through greenhouse gas emissions? Or would some adverse effects start to shine through as humans continue to battle with the global climate? Understanding how different amounts of carbon dioxide fundamentally change the growth and health of plants is critical to brainstorm solutions to the grave issue of global warming, as well as recognizing how human behavior has affected this outcome.
Photosynthesis is the process in which a plant or algae converts light energy to chemical energy using carbon dioxide and water. This chemical energy in the form of ATP then enters the Calvin Cycle and helps to form PGAL, a sugar that is substantially more stable than ATP ever was. Plants can then use PGAL to do a number of things, such as producing lipids, carbohydrates, etc. It is reasonable to assume that if there is a higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere then plant growth would sky-rocket, but it isn’t equally applicable to all plants. Andrew Moseman, a member of the MIT Climate Portal Writing Team notes that experiments where scientists grew plants in specialized chambers that had extra carbon dioxide did grow faster only “if you maintain other factors, such as soil nutrient and water availability” (Moseman).
In a separate experiment, scientists instead pumped carbon dioxide into “free air carbon enrichment (FACE) sites,” such as agricultural fields in an attempt to simulate reality. In these experiments, the rate of plant growth was not as advanced as in the individual carbon dioxide chambers (Moseman). The difference in growth rate between the chambers and the fields is a direct result of the control of outside factors, such as water quality and amount, nutrients in the soil, with a smidge of carbon dioxide imbalance here and there. The conclusion to be drawn from this is that even if it is possible to bolster the growth rate of plants with excessive amounts of carbon dioxide, it must be balanced with the right amount of nutrients. “CO2 is not the only factor that controls growth,” as “plants need the right balance of water and soil nutrients to translate extra carbon dioxide into growth” (Moseman). It is important to note that the world has limited resources, including proper nutrients that plants need to grow. This has been a recognized issue as climate change has been looming over the environmental field for over 200 years, and has been causing this imbalance (“What”). One of the major drivers of climate change at this moment is the excessive amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As a result, temperatures are rising which wicks away moisture from the air and from the ground (not very plant-friendly) while also increasing the likelihood of natural disasters from flooding to wildfires. This damage extends to aquatic plants as well. In an article on Plants and Climate Change, the National Park Service notes that as air temperatures continue to rise, “submerged vegetation is in a better position to weather climate changes” and yet as the water temperature begins to tip, “plants' physiological processes, growth rates, and reproductive patterns will be highly affected” (“Plants”). Water's ability to take in heat easily expedites this process and thus, aquatic plants are affected by excessive carbon dioxide through a menagerie of processes.
If all of this is true, then it begs the question, why is it important to the average person? Well, approximately 4.4 billion people live in urban areas today. That’s 56% of the global population (“Urban”). With the rate of increase in size and population of cities in almost every continent, it’s important to connect back to the environmental impact that the urbanization rate could contribute to. This is where the Urban Heat Island Effect comes in. The Urban Heat Island Effect is a phenomenon where the temperature of urbanized areas becomes higher than their rural counterparts, effectively creating a ‘heat island’ (Sattler et al).This process occurs through “[s]tructures such as buildings, roads, and other infrastructure” taking in and emitting heat waves that are “more than natural landscapes such as forests and water bodies” (“Learn”). As cities are almost completely made of the structures described above, they are a consistent hotspot for the sun's rays, producing hotter and hotter temperatures. Adding climate change to that and the product is something straight from an environmental disaster nightmare. Not only are there greenhouse gases pumped from densely populated areas due to lack of clean energy alternatives available but the concrete jungles of today do little to provide for the lack of green infrastructure often found in cities around the globe.
Yet, there is hope still. Implementation of green infrastructure and clean energy alternatives are in the market for policy improvements and there are researchers around the world trying to improve these solutions, making them more effective and accessible. In order to battle climate change, urban heat island effect, and many other risks and/or dangers to the environment, many have taken to plants. Given the correct conditions, plants are able to take in some of the damage done and convert it into growth. Oxygen is one of the many products of photosynthesis. By taking in carbon dioxide and water, plants can also excrete oxygen back into the atmosphere as a waste product. As more and more plants are introduced to urban society, the hope is that there are enough nutrients and balance to make a difference. A difference in the air quality, the temperature, and the risks that come with global warming.
Collectively as a species, it is important to recognize the impact that humans are able to make on plants, and in extension, the impact that plants can have on humans. From cooling, to food, scents, and supporting ecosystems, plants do an incomprehensible amount for life on earth. Time is limited too. To preserve this health and continue to battle the damage done to the planet so far, go out! Plant some trees, maybe some flowers too. Show the environment some love (the plants especially), and lower that carbon dioxide level!
Works Cited
Österreicher, Sattler, and Zluwa, Irene. “The “PV Rooftop Garden”: Providing Recreational Green Roofs and Renewable Energy as a Multifunctional System within One Surface Area.” MDPI, 5 March 2020, https://doi.org/10.3390/app10051791. Accessed 20 December 2024.
“Plants and Climate Change.” National Park Service, 22 December 2021, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/plants-climateimpact.htm. Accessed 20 December 2024.
“Urban Development.” World Bank Group, 3 April 2023, https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/overview#:~:text=Today%2C%20some%2056%25%20of%20the,people%20will%20live%20in%20cities. Accessed 20 December 2024.
“Learn About Heat Island Effects.” EPA: Environmental Protection Agency, 10 December 2024, https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/learn-about-heat-island-effects. Accessed 20 December 2024.
Moseman, Andrew. “Don't plants do better in environments with very high CO2?” MIT Climate Portal, 8 January 2024, https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/dont-plants-do-better-environments-very-high-co2. Accessed 20 December 2024.
“What is Climate Change?” United Nations: Climate Actions, 2023, https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change#:~:text=Climate%20scientists%20have%20showed%20that,the%20last%20two%20thousand%20years. Accessed 20 December 2024.