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Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide may alter plant/herbivore interactions. The projected rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide is expected to increase plant productivity, but little evidence is available regarding effects on insect feeding or growth. Leaves of soybean plants grown under three carbon dioxide regimes (350, 500, and 650 µl/liter)were fed to soybean looper larvae. Larvae fed at increasingly higher rates on plants from elevated carbon dioxide atmospheres: 80% greater rates on leaves from the 650 µl/liter treatment than on leaves from the 350 µl/liter treatment. Variation in larval feeding was related to the leaf content of nitrogen and water and to the leaf-specific weight. each of which was altered by the carbon dioxide growth regime of the soybean plants. This study suggests that the impact of herbivores may increase as the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide rises.
Lincoln et al. (Sat,) studied this question.