Limitations to Plant's Ability to Store Excess Carbon Dioxide

One of the mechanisms for counteracting excess levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, its utilization by plants to fuel their growth, has been found to be quite limited. A new study, reported at ScienceDaily.com, found that high levels of carbon dioxide limited the availability of nitrogen to the plants, thus inhibiting their growth. "We found that atmospheric carbon dioxide levels may rise even faster than anticipated, because ecosystems likely will not store as much carbon as had been predicted," said Peter Reich of the University of Minnesota, lead author of the study" Science Biology Ecosystem Carbon Dioxide Global Warming