Abstract
Increasing Carbon dioxide in atmosphere affects nutrition due to carbon nutrient penalty or carbon fertilization. Per capita consumption of micronutrients get affected, leading to silent hunger. This study looks at the effect of the greenhouse gasses especially carbon dioxide on micronutrient up take by vegetation and on soil as proxy-indicator of effects in food chain. Fifty soil samples 250 grams each and fourty vegetation samples 100 grams each were taken in georeferenced sites in AFEW in Langata Ecosystem, along a predetermined transects. The samples were put in Ziplocs and transported to Kabete Laboratories and analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry Optima 8000, Perkin Elmer. Micronutrients levels in soil were compared with those in vegetation as away asses possible effects of carbon dioxide on uptake of the micronutrients by vegetation. The micronutrients were measured in mg/gm. The results show that levels of most of the micronutrients in soil and vegetation shoots varied. No Zinc was detected both in soil and vegetation in all transects. The level of all micronutrients varied between the soil and vegetation but generally much lower in vegetation. The transfer factor (TF) of sodium, magnesium, mercury and Lead were > 1, Zinc, Aluminium, Copper, and Cobalt were <1 suggesting possible GHG effect. It can be concluded that the Transfer Factor in Aluminium, Zinc, Magnesium, Cobalt and cupper in vegetation is below 1 possibly due to effect of Carbon Dioxide.
Highlights
The effects of carbon nutrient penalty or carbon dioxide fertilization will lead to decrease of protein, iron, and zinc [7] Increased carbon dioxide has always been found to decrease the concentration of key micronutrients and macronutrients in important crops
transfer factor (TF) is determined by ratio of concentration of micronutrients in soil compared to the concentration in plant dry tissues
Samples were taken along co-ordinates and batches along transects, analysis indicated, that several micronutrients of importance to nutrition were found to be available in the soil and vegetation shoots
Summary
The effects of carbon nutrient penalty or carbon dioxide fertilization will lead to decrease of protein, iron, and zinc [7] Increased carbon dioxide has always been found to decrease the concentration of key micronutrients and macronutrients in important crops. Earlier studies have found that increases in carbon dioxide (carbon nutrient penalty) leads to increased carbon and other micronutrients containing carbon like vitamin C in fruits, but decrease in all other elements, protein, zinc, iron and magnesium, potassium. Increased carbon nutrient penalty in atmosphere in C3 crops has been observed to increase concentration of carbohydrates but decreased proteins. These include rice, wheat, potatoes and some C4 crops like maize, sugar cane leading to decreased edible tissue [5]
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