Abstract
A fundamental property of green plants is that the rate of photosynthesis is dependent in the ambient CO2 concentration. There is overwhelming experimental evidence that this effect increases plant production in most C3 plants: hundreds of experiments with many species show that plant growth increases an average 30% to 40% for a doubling of the present normal ambient CO2 concentration (Kimball, 1986). External environmental factors, such as temperature and the availability of nutrients, modify this response. The greatest stimulation of photosynthesis and growth can be expected to occur at high temperatures and much smaller responses at low temperature. Factors which restrict growth, such as low nutrients, will reduce but usually do not eliminate the stimulation of production with increasing CO2 even when nitrogen is severly limiting. There are also reports of direct effects of ambient CO2 concentration on dark respiration which show that there is an immediate reduction in the rate of CO2 efflux or O2 consumption when the CO2 around plant tissues is increased. There have been very few long-term field studies of the effects of increased CO2 on whole plants and ecosystem processes but the data from these studies are consistent in showing an increase in plant production with an increase in CO2 concentration of the ambient air.
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Ackerson, R.C., Havelka, U.D. & Boyle, M.G. (1984) CO2-enrichment effects on soybean physiology. II. Effects of stage-specific CO2 exposure. Crop Science 24, 1150–1154.
Acock, B. & Allen, L.H., Jr. (1985) Crop responses to elevated carbon dioxide concentrations. In Direct Effects of Increasing Carbon Dioxide on Vegetation (ed. B.R. Strain & J.D. Cure), pp. 53–97. United States Department of Energy, Washington, D.C.
Allen, L.H., Jr., Boote, K.J., Jones, P.H., Jones, J.W., Rowland-Bamford, A.J., Bowes, G., Graetz, D.A. & Reddy, K.R. (1989) Temperature and CO2 effects on rice: 1988. United States Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research, Carbon Dioxide Research Division, Washington, DC.
Amthor, J.S., Koch, G.W., and A.J.Bloom. (1992) CO2 inhibits respiration in leaves of Rumex crispus L. Plant Physiology 98:
Arp, W.J. (1991a) Effects of source-sink relations on photosynthetic acclimation to elevated CO2. Plant, Cell and Environment 14, 869–875.
Arp, W.J. (1991b) Vegetation of a North American salt marsh and elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide. Doctoral thesis, Free University of Amsterdam,
Arp, W.J. & Drake, B.G. (1991) Increased photosynthetic capacity of Scirpus olneyi after 4 years of exposure to elevated CO2. Plant, Cell and Environment 14, 1003–1006.
Arp, W.J., Drake, B.G., Pockman, W.T., Curtis, P.S. & Whigham, D.F. (In press) Effects of four years exposure to elevated atmospheric CO2 on competition between C3 and C4 salt marsh plant species. Vegetatio
Baker, J.T., Laugel, F., Boote, K.J. and L.H. Allen, Jr. 1992. Effects of daytime carbon dioxide concentration on dark respiration in rice. Plant Cell and Environment 15:231–239.
Berry, J. & Bjorkman, O. (1980) Photosynthetic response and adaptation to temperature in higher plants. 31, 491–543.
Bunce, J.A. (1990) Short and long term inhibition of respiratory carbon dioxide efflux by elevated carbon dioxide. Annals of Botany 65, 637–642.
Campbell, W.J., Allen, L.H., Jr. & Bowes, G. (1988) Effects of CO2 concentration on rubisCO activity, amount, and photosynthesis in soybean leaves. Plant Physiology 88, 1310–1316.
Chen, J.J. & Sung, J.M. (1990) Gas exchange rate and yield responses of Virginia-type peanut to carbon dioxide enrichment. Crop Science 30, 1085–1089.
Conroy, J. (1989) Influence of high CO2 on Pinus radiata. Ph.D. Thesis, Macquarie Unversity, School of Biological Sciences, Canberra, Australia
Conroy, J.D. In press. Influence of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations on plant nutrition. Australian Journal of Biological Sciences.
Cure, J.D. (1985) Carbon dioxide doubling responses: a crop survey. In Direct effects of increasing carbon dioxide on vegetation (ed. B.R. Strain & J.D. Cure), pp. 99–116. United States Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research, Carbon Dioxide Research Division, Washington, DC.
Cure, J.D. & Acock, B. (1986) Crop responses to carbon dioxide doubling: a literature survey. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 38, 127–145.
DeLucia, E.H., Sasek, T.W. & Strain, B.R. (1985) Photosynthetic inhibition after long-term exposure to elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Photosynthesis Research 7, 175–184.
Downton, W.J.S., Bjorkman, O. & Pike, C.S. (1980) Consequences of increased atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide for growth and photosynthesis of higher plants. In Carbon Dioxide and Climate: Australian Research (ed. G.I. Pearman), pp. 143–151. Australian Academy of Science, Canberra.
Drake, B.G. In press. A field study of the effects of elevated CO2 on ecosystem processes in a Chesapeake Bay wetland. Australian Journal of Biological Sciences.
Drake, B.G., Arp, W.J., Balduman, L., Curtis, P.S., Johnson, J., Kabara, D., Leadley, P.W., Pockman, W.T., Seliskar, D., Sutton, M.L., Whigham, D., Ziska, L. & (1989) Effects of elevated CO2 on Chesapeake Bay wetlands. IV. Ecosystem and whole plant responses. April-November 1988. United States Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research, Carbon Dioxide Research Division, Washington, DC.
Drake, B.G., Arp, W.J., Long, S.P. & Lawlor, D.W. (in press) Photosynthesis of the C3 sedge, Scirpus olneyi, after long-term exposure to elevated CO2 in open top chambers in the field. In Trends in Photosynthesis Research (ed. J.B. Barber, H. Medrano & M.G. Guerrero), Intercept, LTD, Andover, UK.
Drake, B.G. & Leadley, P.W. (1991) Canopy photosynthesis of crops and native plant communities exposed to long-term elevated CO2. Plant, Cell and Environment 14, 853–860.
Drake, B.G., Leadley, P.W., Arp, W.J., Nassiry, D. & Curtis, P.S. (1989) An open top chamber for field studies of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration on saltmarsh vegetation. Functional Ecology 3, 363–371.
Ehret, D.L. & Jolliffe, P.A. (1985) Photosynthetic carbon dioxide exchange of bean plants grown at elevated carbon dioxide concentrations. Canadian Journal of Botany 63, 2026–2030.
Esser, G. (1987) Sensitivity of global carbon pools and fluxes to human and potential climatic impacts. Tellus, 39B,No.3.
Fetcher, N., Jaeger, C.H., Strain, B.R. & Sionit, N. (1988) Long-term elevation of atmospheric CO2 concentration and the carbon exchange rates of saplings of Pinus taeda L. and Liquidambar styraciflua L. Tree Physiology 4, 255–262.
Gifford, R.M., Lambers, H. & Morison, J.I.L. (1985) Respiration of crop species under CO2 enrichment. Physiologia Plantarum 63, 351–356.
Goudriaan, J. & Ketner, P. (1984) A simulation study for the global carbon cycle, including man’s impact on the biosphere. 6, 167–192.
Goudriaan, J., van Laar, H.H., van Keulen, H. & Louwerse, W. (1985) Photosynthesis, CO2 and Plant Production. In Wheat Growth and Modeling (ed. W. Day & R.K. Atkin), pp. 107–122.
Grulke, N.E., Riechers, G.H., Oechel, W.C., Hjelm, U. & Jaeger, C. (1990) Carbon balance in tussock tundra under ambient and elevated atmospheric CO2. Oecologia 83, 485–494.
Havelka, U.D., Ackerson, R.C., Boyle, M.G. & Wittenbach, V.A. (1984) CO2-enrichment effects on soybean physiology. I. Effects of long-term CO2 exposure. Crop Science 24, 1146–1150.
Havelka, U.D., Wittenbach, V.A. & Boyle, M.G. (1984) CO2-enrichment effects on wheat yield and physiology. Crop Science 24, 1163–1168.
Herold, A. (1980) Regulation of photosynthesis by sink activity — the missing link. New Phytologist 86, 131–144.
Hollinger, D.Y. (1987) Gas exchange and dry matter allocation responses to elevation of atmospheric CO2 concentration in seedlings of three species. Tree Physiology 3, 193–202.
Houghton, R.A. (1987) Terrestrial metabolism and atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Independent geophysical and ecological estimates of seasonal carbon flux address global change. BioScience 37, 672–678.
Idso, S.B., Kimball, B.A. & Allen, S.G. (1991) Net photosynthesis of sour orange trees maintained in atmospheres of ambient and elevated CO2 concentration. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 54, 95–101.
Jarvis, R.G. & Mansfield, T.A. (1980) Reduced stomatal responses to light,carbon dioxide and abscisic acid in the presence of sodium ions. 3, 279–283.
Jones, P., Allen, L.H., Jr. & Jones, J.W. (1985) Responses of soybean canopy photosynthesis and transpiration to whole day temperature changes in different CO2 environments. Agronomy Journal 77, 242–249.
Jones, P., Allen, L.H., Jr., Jones, J.W. & Valle, R. (1985) Photosynthesis and transpiration responses of soybean canopies to short-and long-term CO2 treatments. Agronomy Journal 77, 119–126.
Jones, P.H., Allen, L.H., Jr., Jones, J.W., Boote, K.J. & Campbell, W.J. (1984) Soybean canopy growth, photosynthesis, and transpiration responses to whole-season carbon dioxide enrichment. Agronomy Journal 76, 633–637.
Kaiser, W.M., Weber, H. & Sauer, M. (1983) Photosynthetic capacity, Osmotic response and solute content of leaves and chloroplasts from Spinacia oleracea under salt stress. 113, 15–27.
Kaushal, P., Guehl, J.M. & Aussenac, G. (1989) Differential growth response to atmospheric carbon dioxide enrichment in seedlings of Cedrus atlantica and Pinus nigra ssp. Laricio var. Corsicana. Canadian Journal of Botany 19, 1351–1358.
Kidd, F. (1916) The controlling influence of carbon dioxide. Part III. The retarding effect of carbon dioxide on respiration. 89, 136–156.
Kimball, B.A. (1983) Carbon dioxide and agricultural yield: an assemblage and analysis of 430 prior observations. Agronomy Journal 75, 779–788.
Kimball, B.A., Mauney, J.R., Guinn, G., Nakayama, F.S., Pinter, P.J., Jr. Clawson, K.L., Reginata, R.J., Idso, S.B., Mitchell, S.T., Macdonald, R., Seay, R., Schnell, S., Brummet, D., Pros, H., Savoy, B., Martinex, J., Tyrell, G. & Anderson, M. (1983) Effects of increasing atmospheric CO2 on yield and water use of crops. Annual Report, U.S. Water Conservation Laboratory
Kimball, B.A., Mauney, J.R., Radin, J.W., Nakayama, F.S., Idso, S.B., Hendrix, D.L. & others (1986) Effects of increasing atmospheric CO2 on the growth, water relations, and physiology of plants grown under optimal and limiting levels of water and nitrogen. In Direct Effects of Increasing Carbon Dioxide on Vegetation (ed. B.R. Strain & J.D. Cure), pp. 187–204. United States Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research, Carbon Dioxide Research Division, Washington, DC.
Kramer, P.J. (1981) Carbon dioxide concentration, photosynthesis, and dry matter production. BioScience 31, 29–33.
Kriedemann, P.E., Sward, R.J. & Downton, W.J.S. (1976) Vine response to carbon dioxide enrichment during heat therapy. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 3, 605–618.
Kriedemann, P.E. & Wong, S.C. (1984) Growth response and photosynthetic acclimation to CO2: Comparitive behavior in two C3 crop species. Acta Horticulturae 162, 113–120.
Long, S.P. (1991) Modification of the response of photosynthetic productivity to rising temperature by atmospheric CO2 concentrations: Has its importance been underestimated? Plant, Cell and Environment 14, 729–739.
Long, S.P. & Drake, B.G. (1991) Effect of the long-term elevation of CO2 concentration in the field on the quantum yield of photosynthesis of the C3 sedge, Scirpus olneyi. Plant Physiology 96, 221–226.
Long, S.P. & Drake, B.G. (In press) Photosynthetic CO2 assimilation and rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations. In Crop Photosynthesis: Spatial and Temporal Determinants (ed. N.R. Baker & H. Thomas), Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam.
Ludwig, R., Charles-Edwards, D.A. & Withers, A.C. (1975) Tomato leaf photosynthesis and respiration in various light and carbon dioxide environments. In Environmental and Biological Control of Photosynthesis (ed. R. Marcelle), pp. 29–36. W. Junk, The Hague.
Mauney, J.R., Guinn, G., Fry, K.E. & Hesketh, J.D. (1979) Correlation of photosynthesis carbon dioxide uptake and carbohydrate accumulation in cotton, soybean, sunflower and sorghum. Photosynthetica 13, 260–266.
Morison, J.I.L. (1987) Intercellular CO2 concentration and stomatal response to CO2. In Stomatal Function (ed. E. Zeiger, G.D. Farquhar & I.R. Cowan), pp. 229–251. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California.
Nilovskaya, N.T. & Razoryonova, T.A. (1968) Respiration rate of vegetable plants at various partial pressures of carbon dioxide. 5, 876–883.
Oechel, W.C. & Strain, B.R. (1985) Native species responses to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. In Direct Effects of Increasing Carbon Dioxide on Vegetation (ed. B.R. Strain & J.D. Cure), pp. 117–154. United States Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research, Carbon Dioxide Research Division, Washington, DC.
Overdieck, D. & Lieth, H. (1986) Final report of the project: Long-term effects of increased atmospheric CO2 concentration level on terrestrial plants in model-ecosystems. Universitat Osnabruck, Fachbereich Biologie/Chemie, Arbeitsgruppe Okologie, Osnabruck.
Pearcy, R.W. & Bjorkman, O. (1983) Physiological effects. In CO 2 and Plants:The Response of Plants to Rising Levels of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (ed.E.R. Lemon), pp. 65–105. Westview Press, Boulder, CO.
Peet, M.M., Huber, S.C. & Patterson, D.T. (1986) Acclimation to high CO2 in monoecious cucumbers II. Carbon exchange rates, enzyme activities, and starch and nutrient concentrations. Plant Physiology 80, 63–67.
Radin, J.W., Hartung, W., Kimball, B.A. & Mauney, J.R. (1988) Correlation of stomatal conductance with photosynthetic capacity of cotton only in a CO2-enriched atmosphere: Mediation by abscisic acid? 88, 1058–1062.
Radin, J.W., Kimball, B.A., Hendrix, D.L. & Mauney, J.R. (1987) Photosynthesis of cotton plants exposed to elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the field. Photosynthesis Research 12, 191–203.
Reuveni, J. & Gale, J. (1985) The effect of high levels of carbon dioxide on dark respiration and growth of plants. Plant, Cell and Environment 8, 623–628.
Rogers, H.H., Cure, J.D., Thomas, J.F. & Smith, J.M. (1984) Influence of elevated CO2 on growth of soybean plants. Crop Science 24, 361–366.
Sage, R.F., Sharkey, T.D. & Seemann, J.R. (1988) The in-vivo response of the ribulose-l,5-bisphosphate carboxylase activation state and the pool sizes of photosynthetic metabolites to elevated CO2 in Phaseolus vulgaris L. Planta 174, 407–416.
Sage, R.F., Sharkey, T.D. & Seemann, J.R. (1989) Acclimation of photosynthesis to elevated CO2 in five C3 species. Plant Physiology 89, 590–596.
Sasek, T.W., DeLucia, E.H. & Strain, B.R. (1985) Reversibility of photosynthetic inhibition in cotton after long-term exposure to elevated CO2 concentrations. Plant Physiology 78, 619–622.
Sionit, N., Rogers, H.H., Bingham, G.E. & Strain, B.R. (1984) Photosynthesis and stomatal conductance with CO2-enrichment of container-and field-grown soybeans. Agronomy Journal 76, 447–451.
Spencer, W. & Bowes, G. (1986) Photosynthesis and growth of water hyacinth under CO2 enrichment. Plant Physiology 82, 528–533.
Stitt, M. (1986) Limitation of photosynthesis by carbon metabolism, I. evidence for excess electron trasport capacity in leaves carrying out photosynthesis in saturating light and CO2. 81, 1115–1122.
Stitt, M. (1991) Rising CO2 levels and their potential significance for carbon flow in photosynthetic cells. Plant, Cell and Environment 14, 741–762.
Strain, B.R. (1985) Physiological and ecological controls on carbon sequestering in terrestrial ecosystems. Biogeochemistry 1, 219–232.
Thomas, R.B. & Strain, B.R. (1991) Root restriction as a factor in photosynthetic acclimation of cotton seedlings grown in elevated carbon dioxide. Plant Physiology 96, 627–634.
Thompson, G.B. and B.G. Drake. In review. Herbivory and fungal infection of a C3 plant are reduced and the fungal infection of a C4 plany is increased by elevated CO2 in open top chambers in the field.
Tissue, D.T. & Oechel, W.C. (1987) Response of Eriophorum vaginatum to elevated CO2 and temperature in the Alaskan tussock tundra. Ecology 68, 401–410.
Tolley, L.C. & Strain, B.R. (1985) Effects of CO2 enrichment and water stress on gas exchange of Liquidambar styraciflua and Pinus taeda seedlings grown under different irradiance levels. Oecologia 65, 166–172.
Valle, R., Mishoe, J.W., Campbell, W.J., Jones, J.W. & Allen, L.H., Jr. (1985a) Photosynthetic responses of ‘Bragg’ soybean leaves adapted to different CO2 environments. Crop Science 25, 333–339.
Valle, R., Mishoe, J.W., Jones, J.W. & Allen, L.H., Jr. (1985b) Transpiration rate and water use efficiency of soybean leaves adapted to different CO2 environments. Crop Science 25, 477–482.
Vu, C.V., Allen, L.H., Jr. & Bowes, G. (1983) Effects of light and elevated atmospheric CO2 on the ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase activity and ribulose bisphosphate level of soybean leaves. Plant Physiology 73, 729–734.
Wardlaw, I.F. (1990) Tansley Review No. 27. The control of carbon partitioning in plants. New Phytologist 116, 341–381.
Woodwell, G.M. (1987) Forests and climate: Surprises in store. Oceanus 29, 71–75.
Wullschleger, S.D., Norby, R.J. and D.L. Hendrix. 1992. Carbon exchange rates, chlorophyll content, and carbohydrate status of two forest tree species exposed to carbon dioxide enrichment. Tree Physiology 10:21–31.
Yelle, S., Beeson, R.C., Jr., Trudel, M.J. & Gosselin, A. (1989) Acclimation of two tomato species to high atmospheric CO2 I. Sugar and starch concentrations. Plant Physiology 90, 1465–1472.
Ziska, L.H., Drake, B.G. & Chamberlain, S. (1990) Long-term photosynthetic response in single leaves of a C3 and C4 salt marsh species grown at elevated atmospheric CO2 in situ. Oecologia 83, 469–472.
Ziska, L.H., Hogan, K.P., Smith, A.P. & Drake, B.G. (In press) Growth and photosynthetic response of nine tropical species with long-term exposure to elevated carbon dioxide. Oecologia
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Drake, B.G. (1992). The Impact of Rising CO2 on Ecosystem Production. In: Wisniewski, J., Lugo, A.E. (eds) Natural Sinks of CO2 . Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2793-6_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2793-6_3
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5240-5
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-2793-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive