To what extent can rising [CO₂] ameliorate plant drought stress?

• Published in: The New phytologist 2021-09, Vol.231 (6), p.2118-2124
• Main Authors: De Kauwe, Martin G., Medlyn, Belinda E., Tissue, David T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon dioxide; Climate models; Drought; drought mortality; dry‐down; elevated CO2; Environmental impact; Leaf area; Moisture content; Soil water; Vapor pressure; Vapour pressure; Viewpoints; Water conservation; Water content; water savings; Water stress; Water use
• ISSN: 0028-646X; 1469-8137
• DOI: 10.1111/nph.17540

Plant responses to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (eCO₂) have been hypothesized as a key mechanism that may ameliorate the impact of future drought. Yet, despite decades of experiments, the question of whether eCO₂ reduces plant water use, yielding ‘water savings’ that can be used to maintain plant function during periods of water stress, remains unresolved. In this Viewpoint, we identify the experimental challenges and limitations to our understanding of plant responses to drought under eCO₂. In particular, we argue that future studies need to move beyond exploring whether eCO₂ played ‘a role’ or ‘no role’ in responses to drought, but instead more carefully consider the timescales and conditions that would induce an influence. We also argue that considering emergent differences in soil water content may be an insufficient means of assessing the impact of eCO₂. We identify eCO₂ impact during severe drought (e.g. to the point of mortality), interactions with future changes in vapour pressure deficit and uncertainty about changes in leaf area as key gaps in our current understanding. New insights into CO₂ × drought interactions are essential to better constrain model theory that governs future climate model projections of land–atmosphere interactions during periods of water stress.