Where are the “missing” 3 billion metric tons?
That’s about the amount of coal burned for electricity during a 3- to 4-year period in the United States. “The answer matters because if the CO2 concentration affects climate, we can’t predict what will happen in the future until we understand the global carbon cycle,” says Mayeux. “If the Earth’s vegetation and soils are absorbing the CO2 we’re releasing, that could forestall the rate of CO2 buildup in the atmosphere.” Some of the missing carbon might be stored in Nevada’s high deserts, Oklahoma’s prairies, or in grasslands near you. “Plants take in CO2 and convert the carbon to leaves, stems, roots, and fruit,” says Mayeux. “Since rangelands cover half the Earth’s land area and contain one-third of the plant life, they’re a logical place to look for the missing carbon.” ARS scientists at 11 locations across western rangelands are doing just that. They’re using sophisticated meteorological instruments called Bowen ratio/energy balance units to understand how CO2 moves between the air
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