Climate Outcome NZ
  • Climate Outcome. Home page.
  • Latest posts & news
  • Temperature
  • Precipitation changes in a warming world.
  • Increased flood damage in a warming world.
  • Drought
  • Wind
  • El Nino Southern Ocilation. ENSO.
  • Sea Level
  • Polar melting
  • Arctic sea ice + weather.
  • West Antarctica
  • Ocean Acidity
  • Plant Die Back. Animal Migration.
  • Climate threats
  • Streams a vital resource.
  • Clean energy alternatives.
  • Climate Change in the Bay of Islands
  • The Author. Bob Bingham.
  • Satellite accuracy.
  • Reference sites

Bob Bingham Blog page.

A series of opinion pieces on, mostly climate change and related subjects to do with New Zealand.

Back to home page.

CO2 and plant growth

24/5/2015

1 Comment

 

Climate Change Research at the University of Western Sydney.

There are many claims that because plants absorb CO2 the world would benefit from increased CO2 in the atmosphere. The University of Western Sydney has been conducting research into the behaviour of plants with enhanced CO2 and there are many research projects under-way at any one time, I was shown round the University by Assoc. Prof Paul Holford and my summary of the different experiments are as follows.
Picture
 A greenhouse controlled environment growing cotton with enhanced or ambient CO2; plentiful water or drought; with and without extra nutrients; and temperature control. In the six chambers of the greenhouse the plants are grown with combinations of enhanced CO2, water and nutrients so that every combination can be tested. A quick summary of the results was that the cotton plants respond well to enhanced CO2 but unless they get more water and nutrients they cannot take advantage of the boost. If water or nutrients are restricted then the plants will not grow no matter how much CO2 they get.

Picture
A similar experiment called Whole of Tree was conducted in another part of the University. Using six large large greenhouses that would house a whole tree in a controlled environment, the trees could have, in different greenhouses, CO2 at 600 ppm or at ambient level of 400 ppm, combined with plentiful water or natural rainfall levels and they could have enhanced nutrients. A tree can be planted and grown for eighteen months before it becomes too large. During this time sensors can be attached to the tree, including the roots, and the growth and behaviour monitored and there could be as many as sixty experiments being carried out at once. The result was much the same as with the cotton in that CO2 does enhance growth but if the additional water and nutrients are not supplied to fulfil the plants requirements the tree cannot take advantage of the stimulant.

Picture
  The most expensive experiment was the Free Air Carbon Enrichment (FACE) project where a natural area of woodland was surrounded by towers that blew CO2 out to raise the level to 600 ppm. This project is intended to find out what would happen when trees, which are adapted to live in a world of CO2 at 280 ppm, live in a world where the CO2 had reached 600 ppm. This is a ten year experiment which is halfway through its term and the first papers are only just being prepared now. Early results show that the trees grew quickly initially but the control plants in a natural environment eventually caught up and became the same size.

Picture
The biggest and longest running research at UWS Involved growing trees in blocks in a natural environment but with the ability to provide additional water or nutrients in a series of combinations. 

Picture
The most striking result that I could see was that the addition of water stimulated growth above everything. You can see the larger trees in the centre. It must be remembered that this is Australia which is fairly dry but the trees are adapted to this climate. The other striking result was that putting nutrient on the ground, but without the benefit of additional water, stimulated the grass to grow but the trees did not benefit.
Trees are adapted to the conditions where they grow and are sensitive to change, if the climate in which they are located changes their is a strong chance that they may not survive, 


1 Comment
Daniel Ferra
12/12/2015 03:51:54 pm

"Ice sheets contain enormous quantities of frozen water. If the Greenland Ice Sheet melted, scientists estimate that sea level would rise about 6 meters (20 feet). If the Antarctic Ice Sheet melted, sea level would rise by about 60 meters (200 feet)." National Snow and Ice Data Center.

There Are Over 400 Nuclear Reactors and All Their Fuel Rods ! At Sea Level Now !





Relocate All Nuclear Fuel Rods and Contaminated Metals above 3,000 Ft!


There Is No Carbon or Methane Budget !




"There is no carbon budget anymore and 5C is baked in according to both Shell petroleum and the International Energy Authority. " Kevin Hester




There is No Carbon or Methane Budget !




There are Methane Deposits that Are Now Being Emitted off the Arctic Siberian Coast, Greenland, and The Antarctic, As The Permafrosts Melt and the Oceans Warm, Methane deposits blowing out of the Crust and Ocean Floors !




Methane is a Bridge to Hell, Ban Fracking Gov. Brown ! and President Obama !




Globally we emit over 40 Billion Tons of Carbon Dioxide Annually !




California Emitted 459 Million Toxic Tons of Carbon Dioxide in 2014.




Gov Browns call to reduce this to 1990 levels so we can continue to emit over 400 million Toxic Tons a year, will not help us stop or slow down Global Warming and Sea Levels Rising.




2020 Limit - AB 32 is now slightly higher than the 427 MMTCO2e in the initial Scoping Plan." Ca. Gov. Data



Ban Fracking !


Close 100 of the 108 Bottle Watering Facilities in California !







Golf on Gray Water or Close Golf Course
Grow For Local and Regional Farming Circle, Federal and State Policies Must Change !





Atmospheric Parts Per Million of Carbon is Now 404




In the 1850 Carbon PPM was 260 - 280





What will the Temp. be at 415 ppm ?

Arctic 80% melted, Greenland is Keeping North America Cool, For How Long ? Antarctica is Melting as Well, When Will It Melt ?


We must transition to 100% Renewable Energy




Implement a California Residential and Commercial Feed in Tariff.



California Residential Feed in Tariff would allow homeowners to sell their Renewable Energy to the utility, protecting our communities from, Global Warming, Poison Water, Grid Failures, Natural Disasters, Toxic Natural Gas and Oil Fracking.


A California Commercial FiT in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, an Sacramento Ca. are operating NOW, paying the Business Person 17 cents cents per kilowatt hour.

Sign and Share this petition for a California Residential Feed in Tariff.http://signon.org/sign/let-california-home-owners

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Bob Bingham 

    Occasional blog posts on topical news items concerning the climate.  Please click the RSS feed to receive updates.

    Picture

    Archives

    January 2023
    November 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    May 2021
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    September 2019
    December 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    September 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Clean Water
    Climate Change.
    CO2 Levels
    El Nino
    Floods
    Methane
    Ocean Acidity
    Pine Island Galacier
    Sea Level Rise
    Soil Loss
    Storms

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly