History of Atmospheric CO2 and Its Effects on Plants, Animals, and Ecosystems

From the reviews of the first edition:"A history of atmospheric CO2 grew out of an interdisciplinary symposium that brought together scientists working on many facets of atmospheric CO2 across a range of spatial and time scales. … A history of atmospheric CO2 is well written and very readable. … A history of atmospheric CO2 is recommended reading for anyone working on any aspect of atmospheric CO2, and may be particularly helpful for graduate students just beginning research in this area. ... the book is interesting, dense with information … ." (Laurel J. Anderson, Ecology, Vol. 87 (1), 2006)"Section two, consisting of nine chapters, reports on the effects of biological responses to past changes in atmospheric CO2 concentration. It is the breadth of this section that makes the book an extremely valuable resource for both readers with a peripheral interest in paleoecology and the researcher submersed in this type of work....Finally, the section culminates with an excellent chapter (“CO2, grasses, and human evolution” by N.J. van der Merwe) detailing the effects of atmospheric CO2 on the relationship between the abundance of plants that use the C3 photosynthetic pathway versus those that utilize the C4 photosynthetic pathway and the effects of these differences in hominid evolution....Chapter 18 (“Modern and future forests in a changing atmosphere” by R.J. Norby et al.) does an excellent job of synthesizing the large amount of work recently performed on the responses of forest ecosystems to elevated CO2. Chapter 20 (“Effects of CO2 on plants at different timescales” by B.E. Medlyn and R.E. McMurtrie) provides a fresh perspective on the conclusions drawn from elevated CO2 studies considered across different timescales....Overall, Ehleringer and colleagues have provided an excellent addition to the Springer “Ecological Studies” series. The organization of thevolume is extremely well done, allowing the reader to transition naturally from one chapter to the next. Each chapter is exceptionally well written by authors respected in their various fields of study. I highly recommend the book to both students and professionals alike." (Clint Springer, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas)

• Record.- The Rise of Trees and How They Changed Paleozoic Atmospheric CO2, Climate, and Geology.- Atmospheric CO2 During the Late Paleozoic and Mesozoic: Estimates from Indian Soils.- Alkenone-Based Estimates of Past CO2 Levels: A Consideration of Their Utility Based on an Analysis of Uncertainties.- Atmospheric CO2 Data from Ice Cores: Four Climatic Cycles.- Atmospheric CO2 and 13CO2 Exchange with the Terrestrial Biosphere and Oceans from 1978 to 2000: Observations and Carbon Cycle Implications.- Biotic Responses to Long-Term Changes in Atmospheric CO.- Evolutionary Responses of Land Plants to Atmospheric CO2.- Cretaceous CO2 Decline and the Radiation and Diversification of Angiosperms.- Influence of Uplift, Weathering, and Base Cation Supply on Past and Future CO2 Levels.- Atmospheric CO2, Environmental Stress, and the Evolution of C4 Photosynthesis.- The Influence of Atmospheric CO2, Temperature, and Water on the Abundance of C3/C4 Taxa.- Evolution and Growth of Plants in a Low CO2 World.- Environmentally Driven Dietary Adaptations in African Mammals.- Terrestrial Mammalian Herbivore Response to Declining Levels of Atmospheric CO2 During the Cenozoic: Evidence from North American Fossil Horses (Family Equidae).- CO2, Grasses, and Human Evolution.- and Modern Ecosystems.- The Carbon Cycle over the Past 1000 Years Inferred from the Inversion of Ice Core Data.- Remembrance of Weather Past: Ecosystem Responses to Climate Variability.- Effects of Elevated CO2 on Keystone Herbivores in Modern Arctic Ecosystems.- Ecosystem Responses to a Future Atmospheric CO.- Modern and Future Forests in a Changing Atmosphere.- Modern and Future Semi-Arid and Arid Ecosystems.- Effects of CO2 on Plants at Different Timescales.- Herbivory in a World of Elevated CO2.- Borehole Temperatures and Climate Change: A Global Perspective.