Higher carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere linked to more flowers blooming in tropical forests

The increasing levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) brought about by climate change resulted in an increase in flower production in remote tropical forests across of the globe, according to a study published in the journal Global Change Biology.

A team of researchers at Florida State University examined plant materials obtained from tropical forests of Panama’s Barro Colorado Island to investigate the effects of rising CO2 levels on plant life. The research team also took into account various environmental factors — such as temperature, rainfall, and light — that may impact the annual flowering activity and flowering duration of plant species found in the forest. The experts found that increased CO2 levels had the most pronounced effect on the plants’ flowering activities.