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CO2 Fertilization & the Nutrient Dilution Effect

Interactive 3D crop-field simulator: raise atmospheric CO2 and watch grain yield climb while grain protein, zinc and iron content fall — the real 'nutrient dilution' effect measured in FACE field trials, with a C3-vs-C4 crop comparison and nitrogen-fertilization offset.

Climate, Ecology & Environment3DModerate60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 2D version

Details

CategoryClimate, Ecology & Environment

RenderingThree.js · WebGL

DifficultyModerate

Target FPS60

ControlsChoose a crop (C3 wheat/rice/soy or C4 maize), drag the atmospheric CO2 slider (280-900 ppm, with pre-industrial/today/doubled presets), set the nitrogen fertilization level, and scrub the growing-season day slider to watch the field grow and grain nutrient density shift in real time.

greenhouse effectCO2 fertilizationcrop nutritionecologyFACE trialsfood security

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This simulator visualizes a real, measured ecological cost of the greenhouse effect: as atmospheric CO₂ rises, C3 crops like wheat and rice grow more biomass and yield — but the protein, zinc and iron packed into each grain gets diluted, because mineral and nitrogen uptake from the soil doesn't keep pace with the extra carbon fixed by photosynthesis. Drive a 3D field of grain plants through a full growing season, switch between CO₂-responsive C3 crops and the largely CO₂-saturated C4 pathway (maize), and watch grain color and live readouts track the yield-versus-nutrient trade-off measured in real Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment (FACE) field trials.

⚙ Under the hood

Grow a 3D field of grain crops under rising atmospheric CO2 and watch yield climb while grain protein, zinc and iron content fall — the real nutrient dilution effect measured in FACE field trials, with a C3-vs-C4 crop comparison and a nitrogen-fertilization offset.

greenhouse effectCO2 fertilizationcrop nutritionecologyFACE trialsfood security

3D · Three.js / WebGL renderer · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install