Good question. I've often wondered the same thing. Won't plants grow much more under a high CO2 atmospheric content?
Proof positive that you're incapable of understanding what I've written on this matter.
I took the time to write a number of posts related to the depletion of Phytoplankton in the oceans, and how that logically contradicts what should be occurring when CO2 levels increase.
Again.. In general, Flora require water, CO2, nutrients, sunlight, and favorable temperatures to grow. If any of those elements are missing, flora will not grow.
Thus, if CO2 levels are increasing and phytoplankton are decreasing it must mean that one of those other elements is missing.
Could it be water? No.. plenty of water in the oceans.
Could it be sunlight? No... Still plenty of that too..
Could it be favorable temperatures? Probably not unless it's below freezing since higher temperatures equate to faster rates of transpiration.
So maybe, just maybe, it could be the lack of nutrients fertilizing the ocean that is causing phytoplankton levels to decline by 30% over the past 20 years.
And if phytoplankton levels are decreasing, then the ability of global flora to absorb and convert that CO2 into sugars (which the plants uses for energy) would result in higher CO2 levels.
But add/augment oceanic nutrients (primarily iron and silica) and you provide that missing element that will allow oceanic flora to absorb excess CO2, make sugar, grow, and increase the base of the ENTIRE MARINE FOOD CHAIN.
Do you understand now?
Hawk |
