CONSEQUENCES OF ELEVATED ATMOSPHERIC CO2   AND RELATED PHENOMENA ON PLANT LIFE

Khaled  Misbahuzzaman

doi:10.53808/KUS.2000.2.1.79-90-Ls

Authors

Khaled Misbahuzzaman Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53808/KUS.2000.2.1.79-90-Ls

Keywords:

elevated CO2; plant productivity; photosynthesis; succession; ecosystem; biodiversity

Abstract

In this study, effects of elevated CO2 and associated phenomena such as increased atmospheric temperatures and nutrient deposition have been discussed in terms of plant growth and regeneration, population and biodiversity issues. Elevated CO2 may result in enhanced carbon sequestration to soil, though it is not clear if an increased soil carbon pool will contribute to higher plant productivity. However, there is evidence that an increased anthropogenic nitrogen deposition co-occurring with elevated CO2 may act as a missing sink for the excessive carbon in the ecosystem and thereby contribute to enhanced plant productivity. Although elevated
CO2 may improve plant water use efficiency and reduce light compensation point for effective photosynthesis, associated effects of extreme temperatures may damage plant tissues, and consequently limit the survival of certain plant species in some regions. Rapid changes in climate may result in substantial tree mortality; as a consequence large expanses of forested regions may become increasingly dominated by early successional vegetation of small size which may suppress saplings of dominant canopy tree species. High resource availability associated with elevated CO2 may cause a smaller number of individuals to proportionately dominate biomass and reproductive output within a population that may act to reduce effective population size in genetic terms. Thus plant biodiversity will be affected due to rising CO2. However, speciation rates would be little affected due to shortness of the time scale.

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