I don't have the reference available, but I recall a talk from an AAAS
meeting some years ago dealing with the impacts of increased CO2 on PP. The
findings were that scurb grasses, weeds basically, responded well to
increased CO2 levels, while cereals and trees did not do as well. Perhaps
someone on the list could add more facts and details.
In the marine ecosystem we know that increased sedimentation of carbon and
nutrients increases benthic productivity but there is a loss of biodiversity
to the point where eventually the bottom is covered with slug worms
(Capitella) and little else. Beyond this point anoxia sets in and the
bacteria take over.
Although the overall impacts of increased CO2 are still controversial, a lot
of people seem ready to characterise any views other than their own as
nonsense. This too can be an embarassment for the rest of the science
community.
Bill Silvert
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Hamilton" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 04, 2009 4:26 PM
Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Thank you for responding to the survey!
Increased CO2 in the air, along with the resultant increased temperature and
water vapor has to increase primary productivity, as we all know from basic
principles that precipitation and temperature are the prime regulators of
primary productivity. I see increasdPPP as a good thing overall. The
catastophic predictions, the Al Gore sorts of things, are embarassing to me
as an ecologist, as the public does see me as a person supporting such
nonsense.
