eli5: If plants and trees thrive on Carbon dioxide, and humans are producing more carbon dioxide, does that mean vegetation is benefiting from greenhouse gases? If not, how come?

Question

eli5: If plants and trees thrive on Carbon dioxide, and humans are producing more carbon dioxide, does that mean vegetation is benefiting from greenhouse gases? If not, how come?

In: 102

Answer 1

Nobody had directly and correctly answered your question. Ignoring climate, water, and other effects, plants benefit from CO2 increases up to a point. Past a certain point (around twice current carbon dioxide levels for most types of vegetation) a process called respiration overtakes photosynthesis, and plants stop being able to grow as well, and start breathing out more carbon than they take in. Eventually, it becomes too much of a good thing.