Rangeland Plant response to elevated CO{sub 2}

Technical Report · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/373752· OSTI ID:373752

Owensby, C E; Coyne, P I; Ham, J M; Parton, W; Rice, C; Auen, L M; Adam, N

Plots of a tallgrass prairie ecosystem were exposed to ambient and twice-ambient CO{sub 2} concentrations in open-top chambers and compared to unchambered ambient CO{sub 2} plots during the entire growing season from 1989 through 1993. Dominant species were Andropogon geradii, A. scoparius, and Sorghastrum nutans (C{sub 4}) and Poa pratensis (C{sub 3}). Aboveground biomass and leaf area were estimated by periodic sampling throughout the growing season in 1989 and 1990. In 1991, 1992, and 1993, peak biomass and leaf area were estimated by an early August harvest. Compared to ambient CO{sub 2} levels, elevated CO{sub 2} increased production of C{sub 4} grass species in 1989-1991, but in 1992 and 1993, wet years, there was no difference in C{sub 4} biomass production among treatments. Biomass production of C{sub 3} grass species did not differ among treatments any year. Root ingrowth biomass was greater in 1990 and 1991 on elevated CO{sub 2} plots compared to ambient or chambered-ambient plots. In 1992 and 1993, there was no difference in root ingrowth biomass among treatments.

• Research Organization: Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-84ER60253
• OSTI ID: 373752
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/60253--T10; ON: DE96013936
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BIOMASS
C4 SPECIES
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON DIOXIDE FIXATION
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
GRAMINEAE
NITROGEN
PHOSPHORUS
PROGRESS REPORT
RANGELANDS
TRANSPIRATION