The effects of elevated CO2 concentrations on plant productivity
have been extensively studied. Overall, plants tend to increase
growth and to produce greater amounts of biomass in the pres-
ence of elevated CO2 concentrations. Also, the C3 photosynthetic
pathway exhibits a greater relative increase than does the C4
pathway under these conditions. Comparatively less research
has been conducted on the effects of CO2 on plant development,
with occasionally dissimilar results (Bazzaz, 1990; Patterson
and Flint, 1990). Elevated CO2 concentrations were found to