Elevated CO2 Effects on Plant Growth and Photosynthesis

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations exert a profound influence on plant physiology, productivity and resource allocation. In C₃ species, elevated CO₂ stimulates the carboxylation activity of Rubisco and enhances net photosynthetic rates, often leading to greater leaf area, biomass accumulation and yield. However, this initial enhancement is frequently followed by photosynthetic acclimation, whereby the capacity for carbon fixation is down-regulated through adjustments in enzyme composition, leaf anatomy and nutrient allocation. Elevated CO₂ also alters stomatal conductance, reducing water loss and modifying plant water use efficiency. Concurrently, increases in non-structural carbohydrates can dilute the concentration of proteins, minerals and other micronutrients in edible tissues, with implications for global food quality. The overall response to elevated CO₂ is shaped by interacting factors such as nutrient availability, water supply, temperature and genotypic variation. Understanding these interactions is crucial for forecasting crop performance under future climates and for developing management strategies that sustain both yield and nutritional quality.

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Elevated CO2 Effects on Plant Growth and Photosynthesis publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in elevated co2 effects on plant growth and photosynthesis across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Photosynthetic acclimation: Adjustment of the photosynthetic apparatus following sustained exposure to elevated CO₂, often involving down-regulation of enzymes and changes in leaf structure.

Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment (FACE): An open-field experimental approach that maintains elevated CO₂ conditions around crops to assess real-world responses without enclosure artefacts.

Stomatal conductance (gs): Measure of the ease with which CO₂ enters and water vapour exits the leaf through stomata, reflecting gas-exchange regulation.

Non-structural carbohydrates (TNC): Soluble sugars and starches that act as energy reserves, growth substrates and signalling molecules within plant tissues.

References

1. Preserving the nutritional quality of crop plants under a changing climate: importance and strategies. Plant and Soil (2019).
2. Decreases in Stomatal Conductance of Soybean under Open-Air Elevation of [CO2] Are Closely Coupled with Decreases in Ecosystem Evapotranspiration. Plant Physiology (2006).
3. Elevated CO2 concentration induces photosynthetic down-regulation with changes in leaf structure, non-structural carbohydrates and nitrogen content of soybean. BMC Plant Biology (2019).
4. Response of rice yield and yield components to elevated [CO2]: A synthesis of updated data from FACE experiments. European Journal of Agronomy (2020).