PLANT-RESPONSES TO ATMOSPHERIC CO2 ENRICHMENT IN THE FACE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS - A REVIEW OF THE PAST 10 YEARS RESEARCH

This paper presents a detailed analysis of several hundred plant carbon exchange rate (CER) and dry weight (DW) responses to atmospheric CO2 enrichment determined over the past 10 years. It demonstrates that the percentage increase in plant growth produced by raising the air's CO2 content is generally not reduced by less than optimal levels of light, water or soil nutrients, nor by high temperatures, salinity or gaseous air pollution. More often than not, in fact, the data show the relative growth-enhancing effects of atmospheric CO2 enrichment to be greatest when resource limitations and environmental stresses are most severe.