Physiological and phenological bases of decline in growth enhancement after long-term exposure to elevated CO[sub 2]

Conference · Wed Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States)

OSTI ID:7272505

Miao, S L; Bazzaa, F A ^[1]

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1. Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)

We addressed the degree to which CO[sub 2]-induced growth enhancement in six temperate deciduous tree species is sustained, the physiological and phenological bases that underlie the growth response, and the effects of naturally occurring resource heterogeneity on seedling and sampling response to CO[sub 2] after three years of growth. At the end of year three, CO[sub 2]-induced growth enhancements decline with different degree among species and resource treatments. Photosynthetic rates as a function of intercellular CO[sub 2] concentrations were greatly influenced by elevated CO[sub 2], nutrients, light, and species. High CO[sub 2] plants, however, showed higher photosynthetic rates than ambient CO[sub 2] plants when both groups were measured in CO[sub 2] concentrations in situ. The photosynthetic enhancement is elevated CO[sub 2] largely resulted from higher intercellular CO[sub 2] levels. In contrast to photosynthesis, stomatal conductance showed little variation. The effect of elevated CO[sub 2] on leaf phenology was species-specific. In gray birch and yellow birch, ambient CO[sub 2] plants had lower leaf bud mortality and a faster rate of leaf bud break than high CO[sub 2] plants. In contrast, in red maple and striped maple, elevated CO[sub 2] plants showed lower leaf bud mortality in some treatments and there was no statistical difference in leaf bud break between ambient and elevated CO[sub 2] plants. These results show that beneficial effects of higher photosynthetic rates on growth in a high CO[sub 2] environment may be negated in some species by changes in other plant traits. Differential responses of species to elevated CO[sub 2] may have important implications for forest regeneration and species composition.

• OSTI ID: 7272505
• Report Number(s): CONF-940894--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States) Journal Volume: 75:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
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BIRCHES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
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MAGNOLIOPSIDA
MAPLES
OXIDES
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