FACE facts hold for multiple generations; Evidence from natural CO2 springs (Global Change Biol)

Assessing the effect of rising CO₂ concentrations on plant growth and physiology traits is crucial in order to determine how ecosystems and crop production systems will perform in future climates.  Such assessments have been made with free-air CO₂ enrichment (FACE) experiments, which have provided a wealth of data on plant responses to changes in atmospheric CO₂.  However, it remains unclear how accurately data from single generation FACE studies predicts long-term adaptation to high CO₂.  Saban et al. obtained data for physiological parameters from published studies for plants surrounding natural CO₂ springs, and performed a comprehensive meta-analysis.  For plants near CO₂ springs, eight of the nine traits assessed showed the same direction and an equivalent magnitude of change as plants from FACE experiments.  This indicates that FACE experiments are capable of predicting long-term adaptation to high CO₂ through the analysis of a single generation.  The authors also discuss how plants near natural CO₂ springs could be further studied to gain insight into the mechanisms of plant responses to high CO₂.  (Summary by Mike Page) Glob Change Biol 10.1111/gcb.14437