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Potential impacts of global elevated CO(2) concentrations on plants
1Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, Sheffield, UK. F.I.Woodward@Sheffield.ac.uk
Current Opinion in Plant Biology
|April 19, 2002
Summary
Elevated carbon dioxide (CO(2)) can initially boost plant photosynthesis but often leads to acclimation over time due to feedback mechanisms. Recent research reveals CO(2) also plays a crucial role in plant development through signaling pathways.
Area of Science:
- Plant physiology
- Environmental science
- Plant development
Background:
- Early studies indicated CO(2) enrichment stimulates plant photosynthesis and reduces stomatal aperture.
- Plant responses to elevated CO(2) are complex, involving negative feedback mechanisms.
- CO(2) is traditionally viewed as a limiting resource for photosynthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review advancements in understanding plant responses to elevated CO(2).
- To highlight the role of negative feedbacks in photosynthetic acclimation.
- To explore the signaling functions of CO(2) in plant development.
Main Methods:
- Review of long-term and field experiments on CO(2) effects.
- Investigation of feedback mechanisms affecting plant responses.
- Analysis of recent research on stomatal development and CO(2) signaling.
Main Results:
- Downward photosynthetic acclimation is a common response to CO(2) enrichment, both short- and long-term.
- Diverse feedback mechanisms contribute to photosynthetic acclimation.
- CO(2) acts as a signaling molecule essential for normal plant development, challenging the simplistic view of it being solely a photosynthetic resource.
Conclusions:
- Plant responses to elevated CO(2) involve complex acclimation processes.
- CO(2) has a dual role in plants: influencing photosynthesis and acting as a developmental signal.
- A nuanced understanding of CO(2)'s impact on plants is necessary, considering both its resource and signaling functions.