carbon-dioxide-enrichment
Carbon dioxide enrichment (CO₂ enrichment) is the practice of artificially elevating atmospheric CO₂ concentrations around plants to study or enhance their growth and physiological responses. Because CO₂ is the primary substrate for photosynthesis, higher concentrations can accelerate carbon fixation, increase biomass production, and alter water-use efficiency. Understanding how plants respond to enriched CO₂ environments is critical for predicting crop performance and ecosystem dynamics under rising atmospheric CO₂ levels driven by climate change.
PubMed · 2026-04-01
Rising atmospheric CO2 levels are changing how plants grow, affecting their size, nutritional content, and interactions with the surrounding environment in ways that have broad implications for ecosystems and food systems.
Elevated CO2 concentrations cause plants to grow larger and produce more biomass, but with measurably reduced concentrations of key nutrients such as protein, iron, and zinc
Increased CO2 alters plant stomatal behavior, reducing water loss and changing how plants interact with soil microbes and pollinators
Crop staples grown under elevated CO2 conditions show nutrient dilution effects that could affect the dietary health of populations relying on these foods