Modeling Carbon Sequestration in Phaseolus vulgaris
Joshua A. Mantooth* and Matthew J. Kiblinger
Prof. Zhong Ma and Dr. Todd Palumbo, Faculty Mentors

Increased global CO₂ emissions have been addressed by utilizing renewable fuels, conserving energy, producing local food, and reforestation. However, a less explored solution is the possibility of using agricultural crops and soil to sequester a portion of the 4.1 PgCy^-1 currently being pumped into the atmosphere. We explored the dynamics of carbon sequestration by common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris). This crop was grown using hydroponic culture at ambient and elevated CO₂ levels in order to assess both the changes in total carbon sequestration and distribution of carbon within the leaves, stems, roots, and pods. Also, since nitrogen is a common limiting nutrient and an expensive industrial fertilizer, the impact of three nitrogen levels on growth was explored. Initial analysis suggests that a logistic growth model sufficiently describes dry biomass accumulation over time. Furthermore, our research supports the idea that CO₂ and nitrogen concentrations affect the carbon sequestration abilities of annual crops.

Keywords: carbon sequestration, mathematical modeling, climate change, nitrogen fertilization, Phaseolus vulgaris