Do short-term fluctuations in CO2 concentrations at elevated CO2 levels affect net CO2 uptake rates of plants? When exposed to 600 microl CO2 l(-1), net CO2 uptake rates in shoots or leaves of seedlings of two tropical C3 tree species, teak (Tectona grandis L. f.) and barrigon [Pseudobombax septenatum (Jacq.) Dug.], increased by 28 and 52% respectively. In the presence of oscillations with half-cycles of 20 s, amplitude of ca. 170 microl CO2 l(-1) and mean of 600 microl CO2 l(-1), the stimulation in net CO2 uptake by the two species was reduced to 19 and 36%, respectively, i.e. the CO2 stimulation in photosynthesis associated with a change in exposure from 370 to 600 microl CO2 l(-1) was reduced by a third in both species. Similar reductions in CO2-stimulated net CO2 uptake were observed in T. grandis exposed to 40-s oscillations. Rates of CO2 efflux in the dark by whole shoots of T. grandis decreased by 4.8% upon exposure of plants grown at 370 microl CO2 l(-1) to 600 microl CO2 l(-1). The potential implications of the observations on CO2 oscillations and dark respiration are discussed in the context of free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) systems in which short-term fluctuations of CO2 concentration are a common feature.