Early vs. asymptotic growth responses of herbaceous plants to elevated CO[sub 2]

Journal Article · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999 · Ecology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1890/0012-9658(1999)080[1552:EVAGRO]2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:6429230

Thomas, S C; Jasienski, M; Bazzaz, F A ^[1]

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1. Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

Although many studies have examined the effects of elevated carbon dioxide on plant growth,'' the dynamics of growth involve at least two parameters, namely, an early rate of exponential size increase and an asymptotic size reached late in plant ontogeny. The common practice of quantifying CO[sub 2] responses as a single response ratio thus obscures two qualitatively distinct kinds of effects. The present experiment examines effects of elevated CO[sub 2] on both early and asymptotic growth parameters in eight C[sub 3] herbaceous plant species (Abutilon theophrasti, Cassia obtusifolia, Plantago major, Rumex crispus, Taraxacum officinale, Dactylis glomerata, Lolium multiflorum, and Panicum dichotomoflorum). Plants were grown for 118--172 d in a factorial design of CO[sub 2] (350 and 700 [micro]L/L) and plant density (individually grown vs. high-density monocultures) under edaphic conditions approximating those of coastal areas in Massachusetts. For Abutilon theophrasti, intraspecific patterns of plant response were also assessed using eight genotypes randomly sampled from a natural population and propagated as inbred lines.

• OSTI ID: 6429230
• Journal Information: Ecology, Journal Name: Ecology Vol. 80:5; ISSN 0012-9658; ISSN ECOLAR
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL VARIABILITY
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CLIMATIC CHANGE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
GENETIC VARIABILITY
GENOTYPE
GROWTH
HERBS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
POLLUTION