for National Geographic News Escalating greenhouse gas levels
may significantly boost production of fruits and seeds in crops
such as wheat, rice, and soybeans, according to a recent study.
But the effect may be a double-edged sword; the increase in
yield appears to be linked to a decrease in the nutritional
value of these crops. "Crops have higher yields when more
[carbon dioxide] is available, even if growing conditions aren't
perfect," said Peter S. Curtis, an ecologist at Ohio State
University and co-author of the study. "But there's a trade-off
between quantity and quality. While crops may be more
productive, the resulting produce will be of lower nutritional
value." The findings could impact scientific thinking. "There is
no doubt but that quality matters," said Robert Mendelsohn, an
environmental economist at Yale University. "If scientists can
demonstrate a distinct loss of quality, this would be important
and could change our impression of the global impact of climate
change on agriculture from benig