The heavy industrial pollution and the burning down of large areas of forest land have been increasing the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for over a century, many scientific studies have shown.

And while these studies have sparked much talk about the Greenhouse Effect, the work of one Harvard biologist points to other adverse environmental effects--that the high carbon dioxide content is making plants less healthy and ultimately throwing the ecosystem off balance.

Timken Professor of Science Fakhri A. Bazzaz has studied the effects of carbon dioxide on plants and plant growth, and has found that more carbon causes plants to grow faster, but deprives them of adequate nutrients.

Increased Pollution, Deforestation

Until the 1800s, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere had remained relatively constant for the last 100,000 years, Bazzaz says.

But ever since the industrial revolution in the mid-1800s, carbon dioxide levels have been steadily rising. As industry expands, consumption of fossil fuels rises to meet the demands of that growth, he says.

Scientists have already found a direct correlation between the increase in fossil fuel use and the elevated carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. It is estimated that 80 percent of the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere is due to industrial consumption of fossil fuels, while 20 percent is due to deforestation.

Forests are crucial for reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere because they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis.

But deforestation occurs in many countries where trees are cut and burned to clear land for agriculture. The large-scale burning of the forests gives off high levels of carbon dioxide.

Bazzaz theorizes that carbon dioxide levels will rise exponentially in the near future as underdeveloped countries become industrialized and consume more fossil fuel.

Third-world countries currently consume approximately 2 percent of the fossil fuels that industrialized countries use. As these countries develop in the future, fossil fuel use will skyrocket dramatically.

How Carbon Dioxide Affects Plants

Bazzaz is studying the direct effects of carbon dioxide on different plants and ecosystems.

He has found that increased amounts of carbon dioxide will cause photosynthesis to occur more quickly, which will lead to faster rates of plant growth.

But even though the plants are growing more quickly, they are not as healthy, because they lack sufficient nitrogen, which is converted to plant protein.