Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

The Jasper Ridge CO{sub 2} Experiment: Morphological response of an introduced grass to elevated CO{sub 2} is influenced by nutrients, substrate and interspecific competition

Journal Article · · Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America
OSTI ID:95817

We monitored plant architecture and biomass allocation in Bromus hordeaceous, a Eurasian grass, grown in multi-species stands on substrates (serpentine or sandstone) x 2 CO{sub 2} levels x 2 nutrient treatments. Species composition reflected native communities and thus differed between substrates. Individual plant biomass of Bromus significantly increased with nutrient amendment as did plant height and stem thickness. Relative allocation to leaves increased with added nutrients; reproductive allocation was unchanged. The response to elevated CO{sub 2} differed dramatically depending on substrate. On sandstone, Bromus individuals increased in mass and size with elevated CO{sub 2} and decreased their relative allocation to reproductive biomass and leaves. On serpentine, individuals decreased in mass and size and decreased their relative allocation to reproductive tissue but increased it to leaves. In previous experiments, Bromus grown in monocultures on serpentine did not respond negatively to elevated CO{sub 2} suggesting that interactions between species may form an essential component of the growth response to elevated CO{sub 2}.

OSTI ID:
95817
Report Number(s):
CONF-9507129--
Journal Information:
Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, Journal Name: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 76; ISSN BECLAG; ISSN 0012-9623
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English