As greenhouse gas concentrations in the air continue to climb, plants are faced with a veritable feast of carbon dioxide, which they use alongside water and sunlight to photosynthesize. While years of research shows that this profusion of carbon allows some plants to grow faster and larger, a literature review published today (November 3) in Trends in Plant Science indicates that the full story is far less encouraging.
The review collates a growing body of evidence that the carbon dioxide-triggered increase in photosynthesis, known as the carbon fertilization effect, presents a mixed bag for plant health, and pieces together the molecular mechanisms affected by high carbon dioxide levels. On one hand, the boosted photosynthesis and consequently heightened carbohydrate production ups the biomass of C3 plants, a group that contains the vast majority of vegetation on Earth. But multiple studies suggest that these plants, which include major agricultural crops, take in ...
