E-Mail IMAGE: Rising temperatures associated with climate change affect plants' ability to maintain their structural integrity, absorb carbon dioxide, retain water, and grow and reproduce. view more Credit: Graphic by Julie McMahon CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Agricultural scientists who study climate change often focus on how increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels will affect crop yields. But rising temperatures are likely to complicate the picture, researchers report in a new review of the topic. Published in the Journal of Experimental Botany, the review explores how higher temperatures influence plant growth and viability despite the greater availability of atmospheric CO2, a key component of photosynthesis.