As major changes continue for our planet’s climate, scientists are concerned about how plants will grow and adapt.

Researchers in the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, or PRL, Sharkey lab are studying changes in plant metabolism that occur when plants are grown in high light, high CO2 conditions.

They found that under these conditions, plants photosynthesize more, which can lead to larger plants, and potentially larger crop yields. However, there are tradeoffs; scientists also found that plants lose carbon under these conditions, which they need to make food. This study was published in Scientific Reports.

Environmental conditions are predicted to continue changing in two major ways. First, atmospheric carbon dioxide is projected to continue increasing. Second, a phenomenon known as global brightening is changing light levels as more solar radiation makes its way to the ground than in previous decades.

Scientists predict these conditions will impact plant metabolism, or the internal mechanisms in plants that allow them to live and grow.