Global Warming:
The temperature of the earth is increasing day by day. This constant increase is called global warming. With the spread of industrialization in the world, large-scale industries started, the spread of transportation increased, the pollution from fuels like petrol-diesel, etc. started increasing overnight. The ozone layer began to crack, resulting in the sun's rays falling directly to the ground. Due to which the global temperature has been constantly rising. As a result, the weather and temperature have started to fluctuate sharply. Climate change and human activities have led to an increase in the number of greenhouse gases and this seems to have led to an increase in temperature since the middle of the twentieth century.
Greenhouse effect :
It is important to know the causes of recent global warming and the active area of its research. Human activities are responsible for the warming experienced since the beginning of the industrial age and this has led to an increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases and the warming experienced cannot be satisfactorily explained by natural causes alone. Since the Industrial Revolution has increased the atmospheric volume of various greenhouse gases, it has resulted in radioactive forces from carbon dioxide, methane, tropospheric ozone, CFCs, and nitrous oxide. Carbon dioxide levels are expected to continue to rise due to increasing natural fuel burning activities and land consumption. The additional amount of global warming will inevitably be based on economic, social, technological, and natural advances.
What is carbon sequestration?
Carbon accumulation is caused by natural and synthetic processes. The CO2 produced in the carbon accumulation process is removed from the atmosphere or allowed to be stored in the oceans, terrestrial atmosphere (vegetation, land, and silt), and geological constraints from the emission sources. In such conditions, the atmosphere retains carbon dioxide and processes long-term storage. This process can be direct or indirect. Can be of various natures like biological, chemical, geographical, or physical. When inorganic CO2 is stored in the soil by photosynthesis or by chemical processes, it is called 'carbon fixation'. Biological processes that take place in soils, wetlands, forests, oceans, and other habitats store carbon dioxide.
Long-term storage of carbon dioxide or other forms of carbon in carbon accumulation helps reduce global warming. Burning fossil fuels is proposed as a way to slow down the atmospheric and oceanic accumulation of greenhouse gases. Carbon is extracted and returned to the atmosphere by natural processes to balance the global 'carbon cycle' before carbon is released into the atmosphere by human activities. This process is often referred to as 'carbon dioxide' or 'carbon sink'. Carbon dioxide produced by natural processes such as biological, chemical, and physical processes is stored in the soil. In the same way, carbon is absorbed and stored by synthesizing synthetic processes such as saline aquifers, large lakes, seawater, etc.
why is carbon accumulation necessary?
- To reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the air through modern technology
- To increase the amount of carbon in the soil by reducing the number of pollutants
- To increase crop production by constructing land and improving the land.
Various sources of carbon accumulation:
There are two main sources of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. There are natural oceans and plants and other organisms that use photosynthesis to remove carbon from the atmosphere by incorporating it into biomass.
The oceans are by far the largest carbon sinks in the world. About 93% of carbon dioxide is stored under algae, vegetation, and coral seas. But the oceans cannot absorb all the carbon dioxide released from fossil fuels.
Carbon is also accumulated by animals over a lifetime, as with the help of the sun, the process of photosynthesis removes carbon dioxide from the air. From which plants make food. The carbon that is made in plants by food chains is eaten by other animals. Animals also get carbon from their food.
Forests play a major role in carbon accumulation. The forest is considered a carbon sink. Carbon is absorbed from the atmosphere by photosynthesis. It accumulates in the biomass (i.e. branches, branches, roots, and leaves) in the forest and this biomass is converted into organic matter in the soil.
Soil carbon sequestration :
Organic carbon (approximately 2500 gigatonnes) is one of the world's total carbon (1550 gigatonnes). Soil carbon and inert carbon (approximately 950 gigatonnes) are reported to be approximately 3.3 times higher than atmospheric carbon. Generally, the area with warmer temperatures has approximately 1 meter of soil whereas the area with the colder area has approximately 30 tons/ha of carbon at the level of 800 tons/ha. In both these types of areas, when natural land is converted to arable land, the amount of carbon in the soil is reduced by 75% and 60% respectively and this reduces the fertility and productivity of the land. The total carbon emitted into the atmosphere is doubled by the terrestrial ecosystem over the industrial area. Soil carbon is burned at an average of 55 to 78 gigatonnes per year which has a significant impact on crop production in agriculture. The results of various experiments carried out by scientists to prevent such a reduction in carbon emissions are staggering.
Factors Affecting Carbon Accumulation:
(a) Soil Erosion and Consolidation:
Soil carbon is mainly expended by soil erosion. But often the carbon that goes from one place to another with the erosion of the earth is adjusted in the soil. Land erosion consumes approximately 0.4 to 0.6 gigatonnes of carbon. To prevent this, effective measures to prevent soil erosion can increase crop yields and clean up the environment.
(b) Use of pesticides:
In agriculture, most of the land and crops are treated with carbon-based substances. If we look at the carbon used for the production of these substances, 0.86 kg of carbon is used for one kg of nitrogen. Similarly, 0.17 kg of carbon is used for one kg of phosphorus and 0.12 kg of carbon for one kg of potash. 4.7 kg of carbon is used for one kg of herbicide and 4.9 kg of carbon for one kg of pesticide and in addition 150 kg of carbon is used for fuel to irrigate one hectare of land with well water. The use of these carbon-based components is not for the accumulation of carbon in the soil but for the recommended and careful use of it to increase crop production and prevent soil and water pollution.
The carbon released into the soil by the cohesiveness of organic matter is absorbed as an essential element during crop growth. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain the soil in such a way that carbon is added year after year. So that soil fertility is maintained for a long time and sustainable crop production is achieved.
Necessary steps to increase the amount of carbon in the soil:
- frequent tillage control and crop rotation.
- Widely use organic fertilizers like manure, compost, green manure, biofertilizer, etc.
- Adopt a balanced fertilizer management system.
- Use of crop residues and also as soil cover.
- Adoption of agroforestry method.
- Prevent deforestation and plant more trees.
- Convert to organic manure well without burning crop residues.
