Three stages of plant response to atmospheric CO2 enrichment

Abstract

Weekly assessments of biomass production in water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes and daily assessments of new-leaf production in water lilies Nymphaea marliac carnea demonstrate that the positive effects of atmospheric CO2 enrichment on the growth rates of these plants are considerably greater both before (I) and after (III) the primary maximum-growth-rate stage (II) characteristic of the middle portion of a plant's life cycle. The growth enhancement factor for a 300 μl l-1 increase in the atmospheric CO2 concentration went from a mean of 1.54 in stage I, to 1.33 in stage II, to actually approach infinity in stage III. -Author