Atmospheric carbon dioxide, past climates and the plant fossil record

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Abstract
Isotopic evidence and geochemical modelling indicate that the course of evolution of terrestrial vegetation has been marked by continuously changing climate and atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and O2. Consequently, there is a need to understand their impact on plant function. Data from CO2 enrichment experiments and vegetation models indicate the need to consider CO2 effects when interpreting plant-climate interactions from the plant fossil record. Modelling of vegetation-climate-atmosphere interactions shows marked effects of Mesozoic environments on the pattern and magnitude of global productivity. In the short-term such effects impact on the rates at which carbon and oxygen atoms in CO2 are exchanged with the atmosphere, whilst in the longer term (>106 years) increases in biospheric productivity have the potential to accelerate the weathering of continental rocks and regulate CO2 removal from the atmosphere. Moreover, global-scale modelling indicates that the high CO2 environment of the Mesozoic had differential effects on the productivity, canopy structure (leaf area index) and function (transpiration) of terrestrial vegetation, a consequence of which is that the sign of the likely feedback on climate is dependent on latitude.