Insects take a bigger bite out of plants in a higher CO2 world

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are rising at an alarming rate, and new research indicates that soybean plant defenses go down as CO₂ goes up. Elevated CO₂ impairs a key component of the plant’s defenses against leaf-eating insects, according to the report. The University of Illinois study appears this week online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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<p><a href="http://www.physorg.com/news125597698.html">Insects take a bigger bite out of plants in a higher CO2 world</a></p> <p>Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are rising at an alarming rate, and new research indicates that soybean plant defenses go down as CO₂ goes up. Elevated CO₂ impairs a key component of the plant’s defenses against leaf-eating insects, according to the report. The University of Illinois study appears this week online in the <i>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</i>.</p>