Progress in Studies on Plant Responses to Elevated CO2

Abstract:

Recent studies on plant responses to elevated CO₂ is reviewed. Increase in atmospheric CO₂ concentration affects not only global climate but also plant morphology, water use, protein synthesis, photosynthesis, resistance, growth, biomass and so on. Elevated CO₂ has effects of promoting the growth of plant roots and seedlings, making the leaf thick, lowering the stomatal density, stomatal conductance and transpiration, enhancing the water use efficiency, crop yield and biomass, intensifying the biosynthesis of ethylene and antioxygen competence. High CO₂ concentration together with other environmental factors affect plants. Plants with different photosynthetic pathways (C₃, C₄ and CAM) and different vegetation types (natural and artificial vegetation) exhibite different responses to high CO₂ concentration. Short-term exposure to elevated CO₂ enhances photosynthesis while long-term inhibits. Experimental conditions such as air pressure, temperature, water availability, nutrition status, oxygen, light intensity even growth space also have great effect on the results of the experiments.