Increase of atmospheric CO2: Response patterns of a simple terrestrial man-made ecosystem Original Research Article

Simple models of terrestrial ecosystems with a limited number of components are an efficient tool to study the main laws of functioning of populations, including microbial ones, and their communities, as components of natural ecosystems, under variable environmental conditions. Among other factors are the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and limitation of plantsʹ growth by biogenic elements. The main types of ecosystemsʹ responses to changes in environmental conditions (a change in CO2 concentration) have been demonstrated in a “plants — rhizospheric microorganisms — artificial soil” simple experimental system. The mathematical model of interactions between plants and microorganisms under normal and elevated atmospheric CO2 and limitation by nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) yielded a qualitative agreement between calculated and experimental values of limiting substances concentrations and release rates of exudates.