Co2

[IAreAsian]

Is there more CO2 in water or in our atmosphere?
I have tried to google it but can't find an answer.

Help appreciated =].

[alextemplet]

If I had to guess I would say in the atmosphere. I know that aquatic ecosystems are usually dependent on the atmosphere for a reliable oxygen supply, so it wouldn't surprise me if the same is true of carbon dioxide as well.

[MichaelXY]

CO2 is soluble in water and converts back and forth between CO2 and H2CO3 which is somewhat dependent on water pH.
CO2(aq) + H2O <=> H2CO3(aq)

I found this on WIki.

There is about 50 times as much carbon dissolved in the oceans in the form of CO2 and CO2 hydration products as exists in the atmosphere. The oceans act as an enormous carbon sink, having "absorbed about one-third of all human-generated CO2 emissions to date

[IAreAsian]

Thanks for the help. I knew that CO2 was soluble in water but wasn't sure whether there was more in the atmosphere or in water. Another quick question. Is there more stomata under a leaf or on top of a leaf in a water plant? eg Lily.

Help appreciated.

[JAP1st]

I think there is no actual difference among number of stomata above or beneath the plant's leaves, since the water supply is abundant on both sides and perspiration caused by sunlight is not a heavy factor here. That is, of course, if you are talking about a subaquatic plant. If you refer to a plant living on water surfaces, then reason tells me there might probably be more stomata on the adaxial than on the abaxial surface, though the difference would be minimum. Several factors are in play when considering this kind of adaptation, thus it is perhaps sort of difficult to talk about it as a generalization of all hydrophytes.

I guess we all learn new things everyday, I did not know about the concentration ratio among atmosphere and hydrosphere, and now a question comes to my mind: what could be the implications of high concentrations of carbon dioxide and carbonic acid on aquatic environments (aside from a higher pH concentration)?

[MichaelXY]

The stomata is used for transpiration and exchange of gases. Water Lilies are adapted with stoma on the upper dermis and not the lower.

I guess we all learn new things everyday, I did not know about the concentration ratio among atmosphere and hydrosphere, and now a question comes to my mind: what could be the implications of high concentrations of carbon dioxide and carbonic acid on aquatic environments (aside from a higher pH concentration)?

Read here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nyos

[IAreAsian]

So plants living on water surfaces have more stomata on top? This is because they need to exchange gases and they can't exchange CO2 in the form of H2CO2?

[MichaelXY]

You asked about Water Lilies, and these plants function much like other terrestrial plants do, with the adaptation of stoma on the upper epidermis. However, other aquatic plants have adapated in other ways. In other words, I don't think you can generalize plants, each species has found its own special way to survive

Read this article.
http://www.hallman.org/plant/huebert.html

[MrMistery]

all species that have leaves that float will only have stomata on that particular side, because there is no point in having stomata in contact with water.
Terestrial plants generally have more stomata on the lower side of the leaf.(Why?)

[IAreAsian]

Is this to prevent evaporation of moisture within the leaf? Is that why there are generally more stomata on the lower side of the leaf in terrestrial plants?

[MichaelXY]

I am going to go out on a limb here and say your thinking sounds about right.

[mattw]

Re: leaf stomata.
I looked at the duckweed (Lemnaceae family) of the variety we have growing in ponds around here under the microscope (sorry I lost the pictures) and the most obvious thing was that the water contact surface cells were like armour plating, and the air contacting cells were looser and had loads of stomata. FYI matt