The mechanics of how water and carbon dioxide move in and out of plants greatly affects how trees grow in a carbon-dioxide-enriched environments.
The mechanics of how water and carbon dioxide move in and out of plants greatly affects how trees grow in a carbon-dioxide-enriched environments.
The basics of photosynthesis are something that every student learns in school: carbon dioxide, water and light in; oxygen and sugar for growth out. In a world where atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are rising, it is plausible to think that trees and other plant life growth will rise in lockstep.
But that is not what observations have borne out. As global levels of carbon dioxide have risen, measurements of tree growth—and how much carbon they are storing for the long-term—have varied greatly. How much of that variance can be attributed to carbon dioxide levels has long been unknown.
Read more at: Duke University
A highly magnified view of a single stoma on the leaf of a boat lily (Tradescantia spathacea). The stoma is opening and closing in response to changing levels of carbon dioxide and humidity. (Photo Credit: Credit: Douglas Clark)
