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Updated: Aug 10, 2026
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A CO2 Concentration Gradient Facility for Testing CO2 Enrichment and Soil Effects on Grassland Ecosystem Function
Published on: November 21, 2015
Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide: plants FACE the future
Stephen P Long1, Elizabeth A Ainsworth, Alistair Rogers
1Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Illinois 61801-4798, USA. stevel@life.uiuc.edu
Annual Review of Plant Biology
|September 21, 2004
Summary
Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are rising. While plants initially benefit from higher CO2, long-term responses may differ from controlled studies, impacting future ecosystems and crops.
Area of Science:
- Plant physiology
- Climate change biology
- Agricultural science
Background:
- Atmospheric CO2 concentration is at unprecedented levels.
- Plants with C3 photosynthesis show short-term benefits from elevated CO2, like increased photosynthesis.
- Longer-term plant responses to elevated CO2 are less understood, with potential for photosynthetic capacity downregulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare plant responses to elevated CO2 in Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiments versus traditional enclosure studies.
- To quantitatively summarize FACE experiment findings using meta-analysis.
- To identify quantitative differences between FACE and enclosure studies and their implications.
Main Methods:
- Meta-analysis of findings from Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiments.
- Comparison of FACE data with summaries from enclosure studies.
- Quantitative statistical analysis of plant responses under field conditions.
Main Results:
- General trends in plant responses to elevated CO2 align between FACE and enclosure studies.
- Significant quantitative differences were observed between the two study types.
- FACE studies provide more realistic field-based data on plant responses.
Conclusions:
- Enclosure studies may not fully capture long-term plant responses to elevated CO2.
- FACE experiments offer crucial insights for predicting terrestrial biosphere changes.
- Understanding these differences is vital for adapting crops to a changing atmosphere.
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