New research from a Florida State University scientist has revealed a surprising relationship between surging atmospheric carbon dioxide and flower blooms in a remote tropical forest. FSU researchers studying the rich tropical forests of Panama’s Barro Colorado Island found that climbing rates of carbon dioxide have set the stage for a multidecade increase in overall flower production. Assistant Professor of Geography Stephanie Pau Assistant Professor of Geography Stephanie Pau. The findings were outlined in a paper published in the journal Global Change Biology.