Which of the following statements best describes “carbon fertilization”?

[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2018 Prelims]

(a) Increased plant growth due to increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

(b) Increased temperature of Earth due to increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

(c) Increased acidity of oceans as a result of increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

(d) Adaptation of all living beings on Earth to the climate change brought about by the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Answer: (a)        

Explanation:

• Carbon fertilization is the process of artificially enriching the atmosphere of greenhouses with carbon dioxide or increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to enhance the rate of photosynthesis in plants.
• This phenomenon has several impacts such as an increase in the rate of photosynthesis, improvement in the water use efficiency, and an increase in reproductive and vegetative biomass growth.
• Additionally, plants tend to allocate a higher proportion of photosynthate to their roots under high atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.