Effects of Pleistocene, pre-industrial, current, and future CO[sub 2] partial pressures on C[sub 3] and C[sub 4] plant growth

Conference · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States)

OSTI ID:6201891

Dippery, J K; Strain, B R ^[1]

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1. Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States)

To study plant growth in atmospheric CO[sub 2] concentrations ranging from Pleistocene through predicted future levels, Amaranthus retroflexus (C[sub 4]) and Abutilon theophrasti (C[sub 3]) were grown in growth chambers at four CO[sub 2] levels (15 Pa, Pleistocene minimum; 27 Pa, pre-industrial; 35 Pa, current; 70 Pa, future). Thirty-five days after emergence, shoot dry weight, root dry weight and leaf area did not differ between any CO[sub 2] levels for the C[sub 4] species. The C[sub 3] species showed increased root and shoot dry weights and leaf areas when grown in CO[sub 2] partial pressures of 15 Pa, 27 Pa and 35 Pa. This evidence indicates that plant growth in C[sub 4] species is unaffected by atmospheric CO[sub 2] levels ranging from the Pleistocene minimum through the future; whereas, C[sub 3] species show growth increases as CO[sub 2] partial pressures rise above the Pleistocene minimum.

• OSTI ID: 6201891
• Report Number(s): CONF-930798--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States) Journal Volume: 74:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540100 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- (1990-)
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
C4 SPECIES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CENOZOIC ERA
CHALCOGENIDES
CLIMATIC CHANGE
FORECASTING
GEOLOGIC AGES
GROWTH
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PALEOCLIMATOLOGY
PALEONTOLOGY
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
PLEISTOCENE EPOCH
QUATERNARY PERIOD
VARIATIONS