Will increasing emissions of carbon dioxide spell doom for the tropical rainforests?  Well according to some researchers writing in the publication Global Change Biology the answer is yes, and they cite growing numbers of climbing vines, known as lianas, as proof.  The researchers claim that more CO2 is feeding the lianas, increasing their growth, and choking new plants in the rainforest.  But critics of the study note that, while it is true CO2 has stimulated vine growth, rainforests seem to be doing quite fine – as accelerated growth of trees in the pantropical regions has been observed ever since 1980.  Here’s hoping scientists can soon untangle this controversy surrounding the issue of vines and rainforests.