Seasonal responses of maize growth and water use to elevated CO2 based on a coupled device with climate chamber and weighing lysimeters

The response of Quercus mongolica, one of the major tree species in Northeast Asia and the most dominant deciduous tree in Korea, was studied in relation to elevated CO2 and the addition of nitrogen to soil in terms of its physiology and growth over two years. Plants were grown from seed at two CO2 conditions (ambient and 700 µL L-1) and with two levels of soil nitrogen supply (1.5 mM and 6.5 mM). Elevated CO2 was found to significantly enhance the photosynthesis rate and water use efficiency by 2.3-2.7 times and by 1.3-1.8 times, respectively. Over time within a growing season, there was a decreasing trend in the photosynthesis rate. However, the decrease was slower especially in two-year-old seedlings grown in elevated CO2 and high nitrogen conditions, suggesting that their physiological activity lasted relatively longer. Improved photosynthesis and water use efficiency as well as prolonged physiological activity under high CO2 condition resulted in an increase in biomass accumulation. That is, in elevated CO2, total biomass increased by 1.7 and 1.2 times, respectively, for one- and two-year-old seedlings with low nitrogen conditions, and by 1.8 and 2.6 times with high nitrogen conditions. This result indicates that the effect of CO2 on biomass is more marked in high nitrogen conditions. This, therefore, shows that the effect of CO2 is accelerated by the addition of nitrogen. With the increase in total biomass, the number of leaves and stem diameter increased significantly, and more biomass was allocated in roots, resulting in structural change. Overall, the elevated CO2 markedly stimulated the physiology and growth of Q. mongolica. This demonstrates that Q. mongolica is capable of exploiting an elevated CO2 environment. Therefore, it will remain a dominant species and continue to be a major CO2 sink in the future, even though other resources such as nitrogen can modify the CO2 effect.

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Impact of industrial-age climate change on the relationship between water uptake and tissue nitrogen in eucalypt seedlings

Functional Plant Biology ◽

10.1071/fp12130 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 201 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Gyro L. Sherwin ◽

Laurel George ◽

Kamali Kannangara ◽

David T. Tissue ◽

Oula Ghannoum

Keyword(s):

High Temperature ◽

Elevated Co2 ◽

Water Use ◽

N Uptake ◽

15N Nmr ◽

Plant Water ◽

Total N ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Chemical Groups ◽

Tissue Nitrogen

This study explored reductions in tissue nitrogen concentration ([N]) at elevated CO2 concentrations ([CO2]), and changes in plant water and N uptake. Eucalyptus saligna Sm. seedlings were grown under three [CO2] levels (preindustrial (280 μL L–1), current (400 μL L–1) or projected (640 μL L–1)) and two air temperatures (current, (current + 4°C)). Gravimetric water use, leaf gas exchange and tissue dry mass and %N were determined. Solid-state 15N-NMR spectroscopy was used for determining the partitioning of N chemical groups in the dry matter fractions. Water use efficiency (WUE) improved with increasing [CO2] at ambient temperature, but strong leaf area and weak reductions in transpiration rates led to greater water use at elevated [CO2]. High temperature increased plant water use, such that WUE was not significantly stimulated by increasing [CO2] at high temperature. Total N uptake increased with increasing [CO2] but not temperature, less than the increase recorded for plant biomass. Tissue [N] decreased with rising [CO2] and at high temperature, but N use efficiency increased with rising [CO2]. Total N uptake was positively correlated with total water use and root biomass under all treatments. Growth [CO2] and temperature did not affect the partitioning of 15N among the N chemical groups. The reductions of tissue [N] with [CO2] and temperature were generic, not specific to particular N compounds. The results suggest that reductions in tissue [N] are caused by changes in root N uptake by mass flow due to altered transpiration rates at elevated [CO2] and temperature.

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Acclimation of Stomatal Conductance to a CO2-Enriched Atmosphere and Elevated Temperature in Chenopodium album

Functional Plant Biology ◽

10.1071/pp9960467 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 467 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

J Santrucek ◽

RF Sage

Keyword(s):

Stomatal Conductance ◽

Elevated Co2 ◽

Water Use ◽

Growth Temperature ◽

Chenopodium Album ◽

Co2 Assimilation ◽

Measurement Temperature ◽

Temperature Regimes ◽

Ambient Co2 ◽

Intercellular Co2

Acclimation of stomatal conductance to different CO2 and temperature regimes was determined in Chenopodium album L. plants grown at one of three treatment conditions: 23�C and 350 μmol CO2 mol-1 air; 34�C and 350 μmol mol-1; and 34�C and 750 μmol mol-1. Stomatal conductance (gs) as a function of intercellular CO2 (Ci) was determined for each treatment at 25 and 35�C, and these data were used to estimate gains of the feedback loops linking changes in intercellular CO2 with stomatal conductance and net CO2 assimilation. Growth temperature affected the sensitivity of stomata to measurement temperature in a pattern that was influenced by intercellular CO2. Stomatal conductance more than doubled at intercellular CO2 varying between 200 and 600 μmol mol-1 as leaf temperature increased from 25 to 35�C for plants grown at 23�C. In contrast, stomatal conductance was almost unaffected by measurement temperature in plants grown at 34�C. Elevated growth CO2 attenuated the response of stomatal conductance to CO2, but growth temperature did not. Stomatal sensitivity to Ci was extended to higher Ci in plants grown in elevated CO2. As a result, plants grown at 750 μmol mol-1 CO2 had higher Ci/Ca at ambient CO2 values between 300 and 1200 �mol mol-1 than plants grown at 350 �mol mol-1 CO2. The gain of the stomatal loop was reduced in plants grown at elevated CO2 or at lower temperature when compared to plants grown at 350 μmol mol-1 and 34°C. Both photosynthetic and stomatal loop gains acclimated to elevated CO2 in proportion so that their ratio, integrated over the range of Ci in which the plant operates, remained constant. Water use efficiency (WUE) more than doubled after a short-term doubling of ambient CO2. However, the WUE of plant grown and measured at elevated CO2 was only about 1.5 times that of plant transiently exposed to elevated CO2, due to stomatal acclimation. An optimal strategy of water use was maintained for all growth treatments.

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