Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 05/05/2011 - 12:47
Forums
Carbon Balance in Warming and Drying Tundra

Hi Mr. Wood!

This is Keoni from period 6. I was wondering if global warming, or the warming of the earth, would help plants or moss grow there or hinder them. If it helps them, it may also help fungus start decomposing the plant waste, stopping a build-up. If it hinders them, than they would break the balance of nature and might let fungus decompose the all and pump out carbon dioxide faster!!! Thanks!!!

Thu, 05/05/2011 - 18:01

John Wood

Very good thinking! That is the big question! Will the plants take off with a warmer climate, taking a lot of carbon dioxide out of the air, or will the decomposers increase their activity so much that they release CO2 faster than the plants can take it in? What is the balance? What do you think? We are working on that!Cheers,
Mr. Wood

Fri, 05/06/2011 - 17:38

Anonymous

I think that the plants will be heavier on the balance. This is because plants grow well in warm environment, but decomposers also do better in humidity, something, I'd think, isn't there. This is Keoni from 6th period!

Fri, 05/06/2011 - 20:37

John Wood

Good thinking. There will be more water available for the plants and the decomposers. The warm will also promote both. Will the plants be able to keep up with the decomposers if all of the ground thaws? The plants only have so much space to grow. The decomposers have a lot of ground the more it thaws.Cheers,
Mr. Wood

Tue, 05/10/2011 - 19:23

Anonymous

Keoni from period 6 here.
Mr. Wood, the only way I think you can find this out is in a lab. In a terrarium with controlled environment. I really don't know. There are to many variables.
That would still be hard to do. With your experiment you might be able to find out. I think a lab is your best guess. Thanks!!!

Tue, 05/10/2011 - 19:29

John Wood

Now you are beginning to understand science in the field! If you take there organisms back in to a lab, you may not get the natural response from them. You are controlling the factors. In the field, nature gets to set the rules and you have to conduct your experiment under the best controls that you can. This is the only way you can observe what is really going on in the world! Every day you are seeing something new and asking questions. It's great!Mr. Wood