PLANT-RESPONSES TO ATMOSPHERIC CO2 ENRICHMENT IN THE FACE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS - A REVIEW OF THE PAST 10 YEARS RESEARCH

This paper presents a detailed analysis of several hundred plant carbo n exchange rate (CER) and dry weight (DW) responses to atmospheric CO2 enrichment determined over the past 10 years. It demonstrates that th e percentage increase in plant growth produced by raising the air's CO 2 content is generally not reduced by less than optimal levels of ligh t, water or soil nutrients, nor by high temperatures, salinity or gase ous air pollution. More often than not, in fact, the data show the rel ative growth-enhancing effects of atmospheric CO2 enrichment to be gre atest when resource limitations and environmental stresses are most se vere.