Passage:
An increase in human-made carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could initiate a chain reaction between plants and microorganisms that would unsettle one of the largest carbon reservoirs on the planet – soil. In a study, it was found that the soil, which contains twice the amount of carbon present in all plants and Earth's atmosphere combined, could become increasingly volatile as people add more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. This is largely because of increased plant growth. Although a greenhouse gas and a pollutant, carbon dioxide also supports plant growth. As trees and other vegetation flourish in a carbon dioxide-rich future, their roots could stimulate microbial activity in soil that may in turn accelerate the decomposition of soil carbon and its release into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

Which among the following is the most logical corollary to the above passage ?

Question

Passage:
An increase in human-made carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could initiate a chain reaction between plants and microorganisms that would unsettle one of the largest carbon reservoirs on the planet – soil. In a study, it was found that the soil, which contains twice the amount of carbon present in all plants and Earth's atmosphere combined, could become increasingly volatile as people add more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. This is largely because of increased plant growth. Although a greenhouse gas and a pollutant, carbon dioxide also supports plant growth. As trees and other vegetation flourish in a carbon dioxide-rich future, their roots could stimulate microbial activity in soil that may in turn accelerate the decomposition of soil carbon and its release into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

Which among the following is the most logical corollary to the above passage ?

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: (d) Increasing green cover could trigger the release of carbon trapped in soil The passage describes how human-made carbon dioxide increases plant and vegetation growth. However, this increased plant growth stimulates microbial activity in the soil through root systems. This heightened microbial activity, in turn, accelerates the decomposition of organic carbon stored in the soil, releasing it back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. This creates a feedback loop where trying to increase vegetation (green cover) to absorb carbon dioxide might actually stimulate the soil to release its massive stored carbon. Thus, a direct and logical corollary is that increasing green cover could trigger the release of carbon trapped in soil, as stated in option (d). Option (a) is a generic ecological statement not central to this feedback loop. Option (b) is factually incorrect as carbon dioxide is also released naturally. Option (c) is wrong because plant growth is stimulated by carbon dioxide, not primarily by soil carbon.

Which among the following is the most logical corollary to the above passage ?

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