Articles | Volume 16, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-1509-2020
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-1509-2020
Research article
 | 
20 Aug 2020
Research article |  | 20 Aug 2020

Elevated CO2, increased leaf-level productivity, and water-use efficiency during the early Miocene

Tammo Reichgelt, William J. D'Andrea, Ailín del C. Valdivia-McCarthy, Bethany R. S. Fox, Jennifer M. Bannister, John G. Conran, William G. Lee, and Daphne E. Lee

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ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (25 Jun 2020) by Zhengtang Guo
AR by Tammo Reichgelt on behalf of the Authors (01 Jul 2020)  Author's response    Manuscript
ED: Publish as is (06 Jul 2020) by Zhengtang Guo
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Short summary
Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are increasing in the atmosphere. CO2 has a direct fertilization effect on plants, meaning that plants can photosynthesize more and create more biomass under higher atmospheric CO2. This paper outlines the first direct evidence of a carbon fertilization effect on plants in Earth's past from 23 × 106 yr old fossil leaves, when CO2 was higher. This allowed the biosphere to extend into areas that are currently too dry or too cold for forests.