Higher carbon dioxide, lack of nitrogen limit plant growth

Stunted plants may not soak up excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Earth's plant life will not be able to "store" excess carbon from rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels as well as scientists once thought because plants likely cannot get enough nutrients, such as nitrogen, when there are higher levels of carbon dioxide, according to scientists publishing in this week's issue of the journal Nature.

That, in turn, is likely to dampen the ability of plants to offset increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide.