Higher CO2 levels may be good for plants: German scientists

AFP
Tuesday, July 8, 2008

The dangerous rise in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere may be troubling scientists and world leaders but it could prove to be a boon for plants, German researchers said Tuesday.

Increasing exposure to carbon dioxide appears to boost crop yields, Hans-Joachim Weigel of the Johann Heinrich von Thuenen Institute for rural areas, forestry and fisheries in the central city of Brunswick told AFP.

“Output increased by about 10 percent for barley, beets and wheat” when the plants were subjected to higher levels of carbon dioxide, Weigel said.

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The Thuenen Institute, which has been monitoring the phenomenon in fields since 1999, trains CO2 jets on the plants so the gas reaches 550 parts per million in the air around them — the level expected in the atmosphere by 2050.

Weigel said the studies have indicated that while greater CO2 exposure appears to spur growth, it can also undermine the quality of the produce.

He said the next step in the study would be to evaluate the effect of higher temperatures on plant growth — which scientists cite as another consequence of higher CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.

Full article here.

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4 Responses to “Higher CO2 levels may be good for plants: German scientists”

1. ECTOENDOMEZO Says:
   July 9th, 2008 at 9:04 am

   I GOTTA SAY..I AM A LITTLE SURPRISED BY THE “PRISON PLANET” …APPROACH…TO THE GLOBAL WARMING ISSUE…

   SURE..CO2 IS GOOD FOR..GRASS…AND THAT IS..NOT GREAT FOR EVERYTHING ELSE..HERE IS WHAT I HAVE WITNESSED DIRECTLY..

   I THINK..PERHAPS..MOST READERS AND ALEX JONES ET AL…DO NOT LIVE IN RURAL AREAS..MUST BE THAT..OR THE LIKE..BECAUSE IN THE WOODS…AND MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA..WHERE I LIVE..THE CHANGE IN SPECIES…SIZE..GROUND COVERAGE..ETC..ETC..AND INSECTS..AND DIFFERNET BIRDS THAT NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN..THESE THINGS ARE COMMON PLACE NOW..AND HAVE BEEN VERY GRADUALLY..WELL..NOT ACTUALLY..FOR HUMAN TIME..GRADUALLY..OVER THE LAST DECADE…SHOWING UP..MORE AND MORE…

   POISON OAK..THIS IS..HUGE!…I MEAN THE..’BUSHES” OF P.O. AS IT’S CALLED ROUND HERE…ARE…LIKE NOTHING ANYONE HAS EVER SEEN..EVER…OLD TIMERS..ANYONE..AND IT AINT CASUE OF NO FIRE…THEY GROW LIKE THIS FROM THE GORUND UP…

   GRASS’S..THESE PESTS…ARE…AMAZINGLY DIFFERENT THEN WHEN I WAS A KID..EVEN WHEN I WAS TEENAGER…NOW..AT 40..I AM SEEING GRASS’S THAT I HAVE NEVER SEEN…AND THEY ARE AMAZINGLY TALL..

   INSECTS..DIFFERENT TYPES OF MOSQUITOS..WHO LIVE IN THE TALLER GRASS…JUST LIKE AL SHOWED..IT IS HAPPENING..RIGHT BEFORE MY EYE’S…COME AND VISIT IF YOU THINK I AM BULLSHITTING YOU..IT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM…AND IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE FIRES..THE GRASS IS DIFFERENT..AND TALLER…AND IS COVERING MUCH MORE GROUND..SOME OF THESE FORMS OF TALL GRASS ARE…IMMUNE..TO THE NATURAL ALLELIOPATHIC NATURE OF FIR TREES AND REDWOOD TREES…AND THUS CAN GROW…FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER…RIGHT UP TO THE BOTTOM OF THE TREES..THIS IS NEW…NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE…WHEN I WAS A KID…WE MAD FORTS UNDER THE FIR TREE’ CANOPIES..IT WAS A NATURAL “CLEAR SPOT”..NOT ANYMORE…IT’S WEIRD…IT REALLY IS..

   OKAY..SO THE POINT..AS PETAINS TO THE ARTICLE..AGAIN..YEAH..CO2 IS GREAT FOR PLANTS…UHHHH..ALLOT OF PEOPLE AROUND HERE…UHHH..KNOW THIS FOR A FACT..(READ: PROP 215))…IT GET’S USED IN BOTTLED FORM…ALL OVER THIS STATE…PLANTS LOVE IT….HOWEVER…THIS IS THE PUNCHLINE….” WHICH PLANTS LIKE IT BEST” IS THE BIG ISSUE..: GRASS’S…INSECT COVER..NUISNACE PLANTS THAT GROW VERY RAPIDLY..THAT’S WHAT REALLY LIKE AND UTILIZES THE INCREASED CO2…SO PLEASE..THIS IS REAL..AND IT IS REALLY HAPPENING…IF YOU WERE MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE RURAL LANDSCAPE…MAYBE THIS WOULD BE MORE APPARANT..I DUNNO…I DO KNOW THAT MY KNOWLEDGE OF MY FORESTS..IS NOW ALTERED…I HAVE NEVER SEEN MANY OF THESE FAST GROWING SPECIES…NOT HAVING LIVED IN THE MIDWEST….OR AFRICA…FER CRYIN OUT LOUD…THESE ARE THRIVING FROM INCREASED TEMPERATURES…LONGER “HEAT SEASONS”…ETC..ETC..LESS WATER..MORE GRASS..MORE BUGS…MORE BIRDS…AND IT ISN’T REALLY THAT GREAT FOR THE LOCAL ..MILLENIA OF ECO-DEVELOPMENT..THESE NATIVE SPECIES CANNOT THRIVE UNDER THE EHAT..THE DROUT..THE INCREASED GAS…AND GRASS..SIMPLE AS THAT..GOOD FOR BUGS..BAD FOR TREES..AND TREES MY FRIENDS..ARE THE AIR-CONDITIONERS FOR THE PLANET…AGAIN..PERIOD..WITHOU EM…TEMPS GO UP..ICE MELTS..SO..WHAT’S YER BEEF?

2. RayB Says:
   July 9th, 2008 at 10:40 am

   “He said the next step in the study would be to evaluate the effect of higher temperatures on plant growth”

   Greenhouse growers have been doing this for years. They add up to 1000 ppm in the greenhouses and amazingly enough it is hot in there… but not because of the high concentration of CO2 but because it is a greenhouse stupid! What a waste of time and money.

3. Simon deMontfort Says:
   July 9th, 2008 at 7:44 pm

   Maybe increased output BUT less nutritious plants.

4. TruthgoneWild Says:
   July 10th, 2008 at 11:27 am

   CO2 on earth can not effect other planets.

   The earth has been putting CO2 in the air well before man. The earth is still here.

   Common sense:

   Should we take care of our environment? Of course.

   Should we find better sources of energy? Definitely!

   Should man be blamed for what the earth has been doing for millions of years? No.

   Carbon tax is the proof its all a scam, period.

   Remember, in the past, the global warming alarmist also told us the world was going to freeze…

   Yea.