Effects of elevated CO2 on cellular mechanisms, growth and development of trees with particular reference to hybrid poplar

Abstract

Growth is often stimulated when C3 plants, including trees, are exposed to elevated CO2, although evidence from the literature suggests that the responsiveness of trees to CO2 varies, depending on species. This paper explores some of the cellular mechanisms which underlie increased growth, using both the authors' own data and information from the literature. Mechanisms include photosynthetic fixation of CO2 and the role of Rubisco, the link between carbon fixation and growth, in particular, how increased carbon is thought to influence the process of plant cell expansion and cell production and finally the consequences of cellular effects for the growth and development of whole plants. Data are presented for the growth and development of hybrid poplars in elevated CO2, following both field (open-top chambers) and laboratory experiments which suggest that this type of tree with indeterminate, rapid growth may be favoured by the CO2 concentrations of the next century.

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