Balancing carbon storage under elevated CO2

A global synthesis of experiments reveals that increases in plant biomass under conditions of elevated CO2 mean that plants need to mine the soil for nutrients, which decreases soil's ability to store carbon. In forests, elevated CO2 generally seems to greatly increase plant biomass, but not soil carbon. In grasslands, by contrast, it causes small changes in biomass and large increases in soil carbon.

Automated summary

A global synthesis of experiments shows that elevated CO2 levels lead to increased plant biomass, necessitating plants to extract more nutrients from the soil, thereby reducing the soil's ability to store carbon. In forests, elevated CO2 enhances plant growth without a corresponding increase in soil carbon, while grasslands experience small changes in biomass but significant increases in soil carbon.