Plants use carbon dioxide (CO₂) in photosynthesis to make the carbohydrates they need to grow. As the CO₂ in the atmosphere rises, mainly because humans are burning fossil fuels, many plants can photosynthesise more or use water more efficiently. This is known as “CO₂ fertilisation”.
Scientists have carried out numerous studies into CO₂ fertilisation in forests, crops and temperate ecosystems. What has been much less researched is how wild grasses in tropical savannas respond.
