Understanding the influence of the rise in global atmospheric CO₂ on the structure and function of forest ecosystems is particularly important due to the long-lived nature of trees and their economic value; forests of the southeastern Unitized states provide raw materials for a multi-billion dollar per year industry. This work represents the first effort to assess the effect of rising CO₂ Concentration on longleaf pine, a pivotal species in Southeastern forests, ecologically and commercially. In these experiments, plants were exposed to ambient or twice-ambient concentrations of atmospheric CO₂ in open top chambers at the USDA-ARS, National Soil Dynamics Laboratory in Auburn, AL.

Responses of Longleaf Pine to Elevated Atmospheric CO₂:
Resource Availability, Carbon partitioning, and Respiration.

Responses of Southeastern Forest species to Elevated Atmospheric CO₂:
Pathology and Related Biotic Interactions Above and Below the Ground.