Temme, A.A., Liu, J.C.,
Cornwell, W.K., Aerts, R.
and Cornelissen, J.H.C.
2019
Hungry and thirsty:
Effects of CO2 and
limited water availability
on plant performance.
Flora 254: 188-193.
SUMMARY:
Large growth
increases result
from rising
atmospheric CO2,
regardless of the
soil water availability
(SWA) treatment.
Any reduction in the
CO2 content of the air
( relative to today )
would reduce
plant biomass,
and negatively impact
the world's food supply
for humans and animals.
DETAILS:
The chart below,
from Temme et al.,
shoes the response
of seven C3 type
annual plants
to three different
soil water
availability (SWA)
treatments and
three atmospheric
CO2 concentrations:
160 ppm
( similar to the
last glacial maximum
about 20,000 years ago ),
450 ppm
( similar to today's 415 ppm )
and
750 ppm
( potential value in 2100 ).
The results,
at 750 ppm CO2,
relative to
450 ppm CO2,
are biomass
increases
ranging from
+40% to +60%.
( Compared
with the
stunted growth,
at only 160 ppm,
plant biomass
increased from
+400% to +700% ,
at 450 ppm,
( and from
+700 to +1,000%,
at 750 ppm. )
Figure 1, below:
Biomass response
of seven C3 annuals
to three different
soil water availability
(SWA) treatments
at three atmospheric
CO2 concentrations.
The percentages
shown in red above
the 160 and 750 ppm
CO2 columns
indicate the
percent change
in biomass
relative to
corresponding
SWA treatments
at ambient CO2
(450 ppm).
