Question

More than 100 years ago, Earth's atmosphere contained about 280 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide. It is predicted that by the year 2050, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could reach 700 ppm, greatly increasing Earth's temperature. It has been suggested that growing more green plants would help to slow this increase. The best explanation for why increased numbers of plants would help is that plants:

A) Serve as food for herbivores
B) Serve as a nonrenewable energy resource
C) Remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during respiration
D) Remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis

Answer 1

Plants can slow the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by removing CO2 during photosynthesis. This process is crucial in mitigating the greenhouse effect associated with increased CO2 levels and global warming.

Step-by-step explanation:

The increased numbers of plants would help slow the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere primarily because plants remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. During this process, plants use carbon dioxide, along with sunlight and water, to produce energy in the form of glucose, and release oxygen as a by-product. By increasing the biomass on Earth through more green plants, the photosynthetic process would conceivably absorb larger amounts of CO2, thereby mitigating the greenhouse gas effect it has on global temperatures.

Historical data reveal that there is a direct correlation between the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and Earth's temperature. While atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration has historically cycled between a low of 180 ppm and a high of 300 ppm, human activities have significantly accelerated this increase, resulting in levels that are now beyond historical maxima and contributing to climate change.