Summary

Students:
Romero Palacios Cristhiam
Gmez Chiroque Eliana
Lluque Garca Alejandro

How can a global rise in temperature be expected

to cause greater releases of carbon dioxide and
methane into the atmosphere?
Cmo una subida global en la temperatura - se
espera que cause mayores liberaciones de dixido
de carbono y metano en la atmsfera?
In the process of photosynthesis terrestrial plants
remove about 100 billion tons of carbon from the
atmosphere per year, or about 14 percent of the
total atmospheric carbon content.
En curso de terrcola de fotosntesis que las plantas
quitan acerca de 100 toneladas de billn de carbn
de la atmsfera al ao, o acerca de 14 por ciento
del contenido atmosfrico total de carbn.

 An

approximately equal amount of carbon is

returned to the atmosphere through the
processes of plant respiration and decay of
organic matter.

Una

cantidad aproximadamente igual de carbn

es devuelta a la atmsfera a travs de los
procesos de respiracin de la planta y
descomposicin de materia orgnica.

 Will

global warming produce such an imbalance?

Producir
el
calentamiento
global
algo
semejante a un desequilibrio?
The

answer is unclear and probably will remain so

until after the climate has changed considerably
more than it has already.
La respuesta es poco clara y probablemente
quedar as hasta despus de que el clima haya
cambiado considerablemente ms de lo que tiene
ya.

 The

rate of photosynthesis is affected by many

factors, particularly the availability of light, water
and nutrients. It is not, however, very sensitive to
temperature. A one-degree temperature change
in either direction often alters rates of plants
respiration by from 10 to 30 percent.

La

tasa de fotosntesis es afectada por muchos

factores, en particular la disponibilidad de luz,
agua y nutrientes. No est, sin embargo, muy
sensitivo para la temperatura. Un cambio de
temperatura de un grado en cualquier direccin a
menudo altera tasas de respiracin de plantas
por ah de 10 para 30 por ciento.

 These

observations suggest that a global

warming will speed the decay of organic matter
without appreciably changing the rate of
photosynthesis. That will increase the release of
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Estas
observaciones
sugieren
que
un
calentamiento
global
acelerar
la
descomposicin
de
materia
orgnica
sin
sensiblemente cambiando la tasa de fotosntesis.
Eso aumentar la liberacin de dixido de
carbono en la atmsfera.

 In

recent years there has been a rise

concentration of atmospheric methane of more
than 1 percent per year. The increase is both
rapid and significant because, as noted above,
methane is 20 times as effective as carbon
dioxide in trapping heat.
En
estos ltimos aos ha habido una
concentracin de subida de metano atmosfrico
de ms que 1 por ciento al ao. El incremento
es ambos rpido y significativo porque, como
notable anteriormente citado, el metano lo es
20 veces como efectivo como dixido de
carbono en atrapar calor.

 The

global warming that has already occurred

has undoubtedly stimulated anaerobic decay
and the production of methane as well as
carbon dioxide.

El

calentamiento global que ya ha ocurrido

indudablemente
ha
estimulado
descomposicin anaerobia y la produccin de
metano as como tambin dixido de carbono.

It is possible to estimate the size of resulting

increase in carbon production at least crudely. A
significant fraction (from 20 to 30 percent). Of
global respiration on land takes place in the
forest and tundra of the middle and tundra of
the middle and high latitudes, where the
warming is expected to be greatest.
Cabe
estimar el tamao de incremento
resultante en la produccin de carbn al menos
escabrosamente. Una fraccin significativa (de
20 para 30 por ciento). De respiracin global en
tierra tiene lugar en el bosque y la tundra de la
mitad y latitudes altas, donde el caldeamiento se espera - es mximo.

 If

the increased in respiration is between 5 and

20 percent over 20 to 30 percent of the total
area respiring, then total global respiration will
increase between 1 and 6 percent above
normal.
Si lo aumentado en la respiracin est en
medio 5 aos de edad y 20 por ciento sobre 20
para 30 por ciento del rea total respirando,
luego la respiracin global total aumentar
entre 1 y 6 por ciento superior a lo normal.

 That

estimate is probably high, because the

average warming may have been less than
assumed and because photosynthesis
response will tend to reduce the release of
carbon dioxide.
Esa estimacin es probablemente alta,
porque el caldeamiento promedio pudo haber
sido menos que asumido y porque la
respuesta de fotosntesis tender a reducir la
liberacin de dixido de carbono.

VOCABULARY
Rise = Aumentar
Releases =Comunicados
Photosynthesis = Fotosintesis
Amount =Cantidad
Decay = Decadencia
Global Warming = Calentamiento Global
Imbalance =Desequilibrio
Unclear =Difusa
Either = O Bien
Trapping =Captura
Greatest = Mayor
Crudely =Crudamente
Respiring =Respiran
Average =Promedio

THANKS FOR
YOUR
ATTENTION