Terrestrial higher plants exchange large amounts of CO2 with the atmosphere each year; c. 15% of the atmospheric pool of C is assimilated in terrestrial-plant photosynthesis each year, with an about equal amount returned to the atmosphere as CO2 in plant respiration and the decomposition of soil organic matter and plant litter. Any global change in plant C metabolism can potentially affect atmospheric CO2content during the course of years to decades. In particular, plant responses to the presently increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration might influence the rate of atmospheric CO2 increase through various biotic feedbacks. Climatic changes caused by increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration may modulate plant and ecosystem responses to CO2 concentration. Climatic changes and increases in pollution associated with increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration may be as significant to plant and ecosystem C balance as CO2 concentration itself. Moreover, human activities such as deforestation and livestock grazing can have impacts on the C balance and structure of individual terrestrial ecosystems that far outweigh effects of increasing CO2 concentration and climatic change.