Soil poisoned by alkali can be recovered by the addition of carbon and carbon dioxide where the latter lowers soil pH toward neutral when H2CO3 acid is formed.  It also forms insoluble carbonates from calcium, iron and heavy metal salts further sequestering carbon as well as keeping poisonous ions from plants in a double benefit.  CO2 injection will recover soil lost to years of irrigation salt accumulation by forming insoluble carbonates with H2CO3.  There are thousands of such acres in the south western United States. 

The online publication, “The Future Pundit” issue of 2/17/2004 has a statement by Dr. William Schlesinger, Professor of Biochemistry and Dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences.  He wrote: “One advantage the plants may have in dry years is that with more CO2 in the atmosphere the leaves do not have to open their pores as much to let in the CO2.  This reduces water loss from evaporation and allows plants to grow in dry environments.  This explanation has been put forward to explain plant growth into the Negev desert in Israel.”  Following that lead we found the following by Randall Parker in “Engineering Environmental,” a professional publication.

“Rehovot, Israel — May 8, 2003 —  The Negev research station is the most arid site in a worldwide network (FluxNet) established by scientists to investigate carbon dioxide absorption by plants.  ….the Yatir (desert) forest is growing at a relatively quick pace, and is even expanding further into the desert.

Why would a forest grow so well on arid land, countering all expectations (“It wouldn’t have even been planted there had scientists been consulted,”) the answer, the team suggests, might be found in the way plants address one of their eternal dilemmas. Plants need carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, which leads to the production of sugars. But to obtain it, they must open pores in their leaves and consequently lose large quantities of water to evaporation. The plant must decide which it needs more: water or carbon dioxide. Yakir suggests that the 30 percent increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide since the start of the industrial revolution eases the plant’s dilemma. Under such conditions, the plant doesn’t have to fully open the pores for carbon dioxide to seep in – a relatively small opening is sufficient. Consequently, less water escapes the plant’s pores. This efficient water preservation technique keeps moisture in the ground, allowing forests to grow in areas that previously were too dry.”

        In a study published by Jurik, et al in 1984, experiments with Big Tooth aspen leaves showed that CO2 supplemented plants had much higher heat tolerance than those in the then normal 325 ppm CO2 environment.  Where most of the land we recover for agriculture will be in drier hotter lands this is a very important finding.  (See Stomata Function for the details.)

Concept Confirmed

          This fits in perfectly with what we have observed experimentally and found in the literature.  Where SCAF puts carbon dioxide to soil moisture the demand for water will be substantially reduced as transpiration falls in response to root borne carbon dioxide.

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