Trading water for carbon in the future: Effects of elevated CO 2 and warming on leaf hydraulic traits in a semiarid grassland

Mueller, Kevin E.; Ocheltree, Troy W.; Kray, Julie A.; Bushey, Julie A.; Blumenthal, Dana M.; Williams, David G.; Pendall, Elise

doi:10.1111/gcb.16314

Trading water for carbon in the future: Effects of elevated CO ₂ and warming on leaf hydraulic traits in a semiarid grassland

Journal Article · Thu Aug 04 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Global Change Biology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16314· OSTI ID:1879922

^[1]; ^[2]; Kray, Julie A. ^[3]; Bushey, Julie A. ^[4]; ^[3]; Williams, David G. ^[5]; ^[6]

Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences Cleveland State University Cleveland Ohio USA
Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA
Rangeland Resources &, Systems Research, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture Fort Collins Colorado USA
Water Management Research, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture Fort Collins Colorado USA
Department of Botany University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming USA
Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University Penrith New South Wales Australia

Abstract

The effects of climate change on plants and ecosystems are mediated by plant hydraulic traits, including interspecific and intraspecific variability of trait phenotypes. Yet, integrative and realistic studies of hydraulic traits and climate change are rare. In a semiarid grassland, we assessed the response of several plant hydraulic traits to elevated CO ₂ (+200 ppm) and warming (+1.5 to 3°C; day to night). For leaves of five dominant species (three graminoids and two forbs), and in replicated plots exposed to 7 years of elevated CO ₂ , warming, or ambient climate, we measured: stomatal density and size, xylem vessel size, turgor loss point, and water potential (pre‐dawn). Interspecific differences in hydraulic traits were larger than intraspecific shifts induced by elevated CO ₂ and/or warming. Effects of elevated CO ₂ were greater than effects of warming, and interactions between treatments were weak or not detected. The forbs showed little phenotypic plasticity. The graminoids had leaf water potentials and turgor loss points that were 10% to 50% less negative under elevated CO ₂ ; thus, climate change might cause these species to adjust their drought resistance strategy away from tolerance and toward avoidance. The C4 grass also reduced allocation of leaf area to stomata under elevated CO ₂ , which helps explain observations of higher soil moisture. The shifts in hydraulic traits under elevated CO ₂ were not, however, simply due to higher soil moisture. Integration of our results with others' indicates that common species in this grassland are more likely to adjust stomatal aperture in response to near‐term climate change, rather than anatomical traits; this contrasts with apparent effects of changing CO ₂ on plant anatomy over evolutionary time. Future studies should assess how plant responses to drought may be constrained by the apparent shift from tolerance (via low turgor loss point) to avoidance (via stomatal regulation and/or access to deeper soil moisture).

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Research Organization:: Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); USDA; USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0006973

OSTI ID:: 1879922

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1879925
OSTI ID: 1904505

Journal Information:: Global Change Biology, Journal Name: Global Change Biology Journal Issue: 20 Vol. 28; ISSN 1354-1013

Publisher:: Wiley-BlackwellCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
carbon dioxide
drought
intraspecific
plant functional type
species
stomata
turgor loss point
warming
water potential
xylem

Trading water for carbon in the future: Effects of elevated CO 2 and warming on leaf hydraulic traits in a semiarid grassland

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Trading water for carbon in the future: Effects of elevated CO ₂ and warming on leaf hydraulic traits in a semiarid grassland