Adding CO2 to an enviroment can increase plant growth. As the levels of CO2 in an area rise, the stomatas in the leaves close. Stomatas are the small pores that plants use for "breathing". When the stomatas close up, water loss is prevented. The increase of CO2 levels help to conserve the water and increase the growth of the plant later into the season. Although the increase in CO2 helps some plants, it is not good for all species. Flowering plants might become out of sync with the life cycle of the pollinators. CO2 is not the only cause of longer seasons. The warmer temperatures have also contributed to the shifts in the seasons. In an experiment, the amount of growing days more than doubled when there was an increase of temperature, and CO2 compared to when there was just an increase in temperature. Scientists have found that an increase in CO2 can increase plant growth temporarily.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/co2-makes-growing-seasons-longer1/
NOS Themes:
-Science is based on evidence
-Role of skepticism
-Role of motivation and curiosity
A longer growing season does sound beneficial, but I also read about some negative impacts it can have on not just the plants themselves, but the surrounding community as well.
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Due to global warming, farmers are able to pick a variety of crops to grow, or they could have many harvests coming from the same plot, but the rising temperatures may also be advantageous to weeds or other invasive species. It can also deplete the water supply more quickly. The whole community can be affected as well; the type of animals living nearby may even change.
This was a well written blog post and I like your interest in plants. Though a lot of CO2 is good for plant life, it probably isn't good for people, animals, and the ozone. I think there are better ways to increase plant growth that isn't so harmful to the rest of the earth. Becky made a good point that all of the weeds around the crops will also grow at a faster rate which could take the nutrients in the ground away from the good plants.
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