• At high light and warm temps, photosynthesis often needs more CO₂.
• In greenhouses
  • With optimal light and temperature, increasing CO₂ boosts photosynthesis.
  • Fun fact! Tomato farmers pump in extra CO₂ on sunny days for bigger, juicier tomatoes! 🍅
• Where does the extra CO₂ come from?
  • Not-so-green method: burning natural gas.
  • Greener method: decomposing plant and animal waste (like composting!).

🌍 CO₂ Over Time

• Pre-Industrial Revolution (circa 1780): ~270ppm CO₂.
• 21st century forecast: might rise above 550ppm. 🌡
• Think of this: more CO₂ could mean more plant growth. This could mean plants eat up more CO₂, potentially slowing its rise.

• What's the goal? Increase CO₂ and see how plants react without changing other factors.
• Can't be done in labs. Must be in the wild.
• How it works
  • Build tower circles.
  • Release CO₂.
  • Monitor the CO₂ levels.
  • Keep it above 550ppm.
  • Use the wind to keep the CO₂ in the circle. 🌬
• There are also control plots for comparison.
• Places it's been done: Eucalyptus forests in Australia 🐨, Oak forests in England 🌰.
• Questions they're asking
  • Does more CO₂ = more carbon storage in woods? 🌲
  • Do plants need more minerals like nitrogen or phosphorus?
  • How does added CO₂ change ecosystem structure and biodiversity?
  • Can these results be applied to other forests?

📸 Keep Up with the Research!

• Search "PhenoCam Network" and find "millhaft" to watch the experiments live. (Like reality TV, but for trees!)

• Where can biological research happen?
  • In the field: natural habitats (great for studying behavior or disease spread).
  • In the lab: controlled environment (awesome for things like biochemistry and molecular biology).
• Observations
  • Mostly used in ecology and human biology.
  • Just watch and note, don't interfere.
  • Challenge: multiple factors can influence results.
• Experiments
  • Great for determining cause and effect.
  • For instance, change the temperature and see how enzymes respond.