Potential impacts of global elevated CO2 concentrations on plants

Early experiments investigating the effects Of CO2 enrichment on plants frequently showed photosynthetic stimulation and reduced stomatal aperture over short time periods. Work on the effects of elevated CO2 has advanced in two major areas: by the extension of long-term and field experiments, and through investigations on the wide range of negative feedbacks affecting plant responses to CO2. Downward photosynthetic acclimation in response to CO2 enrichment is frequently observed over the short and long term, and indicates the activity of diverse feedback mechanisms. CO2 is generally viewed as a limiting photosynthetic resource. However, recent work on stomatal development has shown that this view is simplistic: long- and short-distance signalling of CO2 concentration are necessary components of normal plant development.