Carbon sequestration in the rain forest: alternatives using environmentally friendly biotechnology

Authors

  • Marcos S. Buckeridge Instituto de Botânica
  • Marcos P.M. Aidar Instituto de Botânica

Keywords:

Global change, Carbon Sequestration, Photosynthesis, Rain Forest, Sugar Sensing, Cellulose synthesis, Gene therapy

Abstract

As carbon dioxide increases on Earth atmosphere, the rise in average temperatures may provoke changes in the environment that could damage civilisation as we know it. As a result, the need to sequester carbon becomes urgent, and one of the options we have is to use the potential of the forests to do it by enhancing assimilation of CO2 through photosynthesis. However, if we consider the use of plants to increase carbon sequestration, a problem that looms is that species often acclimate and actually reduce CO2 assimilation through feedback mechanisms of the sugars that are the product. In the present article, we propose that some biochemical pathways, such as those in control of photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism and assimilation, and cellulose and polysaccharide synthesis, that might be targeted so that C sequestration, could be increased. Genetic control of metabolic pathways is now among the technologies available. Although genetic modification of native plants is controversial, according to the forecasts the concentration of atmospheric CO2 will double in just 50 years, and, therefore, we may have few options short of greatly reducing output. Fortunately, we already know a few candidate genes to be targets for genetic manipulation, and in this short article we discuss some environmentally friendly approaches to the problem.

Downloads

Published

2002-01-01

How to Cite

Buckeridge, M. S., & Aidar, M. P. (2002). Carbon sequestration in the rain forest: alternatives using environmentally friendly biotechnology. Biota Neotropica, 2(1). Retrieved from //www.biotaneotropica.org.br/BN/article/view/1133

Issue

Section

Points of View
Loading...