Effects of elevated CO2 on growth and carbon/nutrient balance in the deciduous woody shrub Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume (Lauraceae)

A meta-analysis of responses of C3 plants to atmospheric CO2 : dose-response curves for 85 traits ranging from the molecular to the whole-plant level

Generalised dose-response curves are essential to understand how plants acclimate to atmospheric CO₂ . We carried out a meta-analysis of 630 experiments in which C₃ plants were experimentally grown at different [CO₂ ] under relatively benign conditions, and derived dose-response curves for 85 phenotypic traits. These curves were characterised by form, plasticity, consistency and reliability. Considered over a range of 200-1200 µmol mol^-1 CO₂ , some traits more than doubled (e.g. area-based photosynthesis; intrinsic water-use efficiency), whereas others more than halved (area-based transpiration). At current atmospheric [CO₂ ], 64% of the total stimulation in biomass over the 200-1200 µmol mol^-1 range has already been realised. We also mapped the trait responses of plants to [CO₂ ] against those we have quantified before for light intensity. For most traits, CO₂ and light responses were of similar direction. However, some traits (such as reproductive effort) only responded to light, others (such as plant height) only to [CO₂ ], and some traits (such as area-based transpiration) responded in opposite directions. This synthesis provides a comprehensive picture of plant responses to [CO₂ ] at different integration levels and offers the quantitative dose-response curves that can be used to improve global change simulation models.

Effects of Understory Shrub Biomass on Variation of Soil Respiration in a Temperate-Subtropical Transitional Oak Forest

Quantification of the temporal and spatial variations of soil respiration is an essential step in modeling soil carbon (C) emission associated with the spatial distribution of plants. To examine the temporal and spatial variations of soil respiration and its driving factors, we investigated soil respiration, microclimate, and understory vegetation in a 50 m × 70 m plot in a climatic transitional zone oak forest in Central China. The temporal variation of soil respiration based on the 21 measurements ranged from 15.01% to 30.21% across the 48 subplots. Structural equation modeling showed that soil temperature and understory shrub biomass had greater positive effects on the seasonal variability of soil respiration. The spatial variation of soil respiration of the 48 subplots varied from 3.61% to 6.99% during the 21 measurement campaigns. Understory shrub biomass and belowground fine root biomass positively regulated the spatial variation of soil respiration. Soil respiration displayed strong spatial autocorrelation, with an average spatial correlation length of 20.1 m. The findings highlight the importance of understory shrub and belowground biomass in regulating the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of soil respiration in forest ecosystems, and the need to carefully address it to robustly estimate the contribution of soil C emission in terrestrial C cycling.

Cytological stress and element uptake in moss and lichen exposed in bags in urban area

In this study cytological ultrastructure, total content of C, N and S, and cellular location of major and trace elements (K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Pb and Zn) were investigated in the moss Hypnum cupressiforme and in the lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea exposed in bags for a spring-summer 12-weeks period in the urban area of Naples city. In the moss, severe ultrastructural damages, such as membrane interruptions and dehydration, developed after exposure supporting the occurrence of a dead biomonitor. In the lichen, the post-exposure stress marks, such as the development of lysosome-like vesicles and concentric bodies, or the production of melanin, were overall compatible with life. With exposure, N, S, major and trace element contents all increased in both biomonitors, while C remained substantially unchanged. Copper and Pb were mainly retained in extracellular and particulate forms. Intracellular concentration of Zn consistently increased in both biomonitors, irrespective of their vitality. In transplants, cellular location of elements can better reflect the form in which they occur in the environment.

Flowering phenology in a species-rich temperate grassland is sensitive to warming but not elevated CO2

* Flowering is a critical stage in plant life cycles, and changes might alter processes at the species, community and ecosystem levels. Therefore, likely flowering-time responses to global change drivers are needed for predictions of global change impacts on natural and managed ecosystems. * Here, the impact of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) (550 micromol mol(-1)) and warming (+2 masculineC) is reported on flowering times in a native, species-rich, temperate grassland in Tasmania, Australia in both 2004 and 2005. * Elevated [CO2] did not affect average time of first flowering in either year, only affecting three out of 23 species. Warming reduced time to first flowering by an average of 19.1 d in 2004, acting on most species, but did not significantly alter flowering time in 2005, which might be related to the timing of rainfall. Elevated [CO2] and warming treatments did not interact on flowering time. * These results show elevated [CO2] did not alter average flowering time or duration in this grassland; neither did it alter the response to warming. Therefore, flowering phenology appears insensitive to increasing [CO2] in this ecosystem, although the response to warming varies between years but can be strong.

Influence of warming on soil water potential controls seedling mortality in perennial but not annual species in a temperate grassland

In a water-limited system, the following hypotheses are proposed: warming will increase seedling mortality; elevated atmospheric CO2 will reduce seedling mortality by reducing transpiration, thereby increasing soil water availability; and longevity (i.e. whether a species is annual or perennial) will affect the response of a species to global changes. Here, these three hypotheses are tested by assessing the impact of elevated CO2 (550 micromol mol(-1) and warming (+2 degrees C) on seedling emergence, survivorship and establishment in an Australian temperate grassland from autumn 2004 to autumn 2007. Warming impacts on seedling survivorship were dependent upon species longevity. Warming reduced seedling survivorship of perennials through its effects on soil water potential but the seedling survivorship of annuals was reduced to a greater extent than could be accounted for by treatment effects on soil water potential. Elevated CO2 did not significantly affect seedling survivorship in annuals or perennials. These results show that warming will alter recruitment of perennial species by changing soil water potential but will reduce recruitment of annual species independent of any effects on soil moisture. The results also show that exposure to elevated CO2 does not make seedlings more resistant to dry soils.

Effects of elevated CO2 on foliar quality and herbivore damage in a scrub oak ecosystem

Atmospheric CO2 concentrations have increased exponentially over the last century and continuing increases are expected to have significant effects on ecosystems. We investigated the interactions among atmospheric CO2, foliar quality, and herbivory within a scrub oak community at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Sixteen plots of open-top chambers were followed; eight of which were exposed to ambient levels of CO2 (350 ppm), and eight of which were exposed to elevated levels of CO2 (700 ppm). We focused on three oak species, Quercus geminata, Quercus myrtifolia, Quercus chapmanii, and one nitrogen fixing legume, Galactia elliottii. There were declines in overall nitrogen and increases in C:N ratios under elevated CO2. Total carbon, phenolics (condensed tannins, hydrolyzable tannins, total phenolics) and fiber (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin) did not change under elevated CO2 across plant species. Plant species differed in their relative foliar chemistries over time, however, the only consistent differences were higher nitrogen concentrations and lower C:N ratios in the nitrogen fixer when compared to the oak species. Under elevated CO2, damage by herbivores decreased for four of the six insect groups investigated. The overall declines in both foliar quality and herbivory under elevated CO2 treatments suggest that damage to plants may decline as atmospheric CO2 levels continue to rise.

Sulphur, nitrogen and carbon content of Sphagnum capillifolium and Pseudevernia furfuracea exposed in bags in the Naples urban area

The accumulation ability of the major elements sulphur, nitrogen and carbon by the moss Sphagnum capillifolium (Ehrh.) Hedw. and the lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf exposed in bags in Naples urban area,was investigated. Bags were exposed at the beginning of July 1999 and gathered in two subsequent moments: at the end of the dry season (after 10 weeks of exposure) and during the wet season (after 17 weeks of exposure), to include the effects of rainy conditions. Sulphur and N content of the lichen increased all over the exposure period, while the level of C did not change significantly either after 10 or 17 weeks of exposition. For the moss the S accumulation was limited to the dry period of exposure, whereas N and C content decreased with exposure. Results, in contrast with those obtained in a previous study on trace elements bioaccumulation [Adamo et al., Environmental Pollution, (2003) 122, 91-103], suggest that accumulation of gaseous pollutants is strongly influenced by biomonitor vitality and that lichen bags are a more reliable and effective tool for monitoring S, N and C atmospheric depositions in urban areas compared to moss bags, because of greater lichen resistance to dry and stressing conditions of urban environment.

Effect of nitrogen and water treatment on leaf chemistry in horsenettle (Solanum carolinense), and relationship to herbivory by flea beetles (Epitrix spp.) and tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta)

We studied the interaction between plants (horsenettle; Solanum carolinense) and herbivorous insects (flea beetles; Epitrix spp., and tobacco hornworm; Manduca sexta) by focusing on three questions: (1) Does variation in nitrogen availability affect leaf chemistry as predicted by the carbon-nutrient balance (CNB) hypothesis? (2) Does variation in plant treatment and leaf chemistry affect insect feeding? (3) Is there an interaction between the insect herbivores that is mediated by variation in leaf chemistry? For three successive years (1998-2001), we grew a set of clones of 10 maternal plants under two nitrogen treatments and two water treatments. For each plant in the summer of 2000, we assayed herbivory by hornworms in both indoor (detached leaf) and outdoor (attached leaf) assays, as well as ambient flea beetle damage. Estimates of leaf material consumed were made via analysis of digitized leaf images. We also assayed leaves for total protein, phenolic, and glycoalkaloid content, and for trypsin inhibitor, polyphenol oxidase, and peroxidase activity. Despite strong effects of nitrogen treatment on growth and reproduction, only total protein responded as predicted by CNB. Leaf phenolic levels were increased by nitrogen treatment, polyphenol oxidase activity was decreased, and other leaf parameters were unaffected. Neither hornworm nor flea beetle herbivory could be related to plant treatment or genotype or to variation in any of the six leaf chemical parameters. A negative relationship between flea beetle and hornworm herbivory was found, but was not apparently mediated by any of the measured leaf chemicals. Because leaf resistance was maintained in low nitrogen plants at the apparent expense of growth and reproduction, our results support the concept of a fitness cost of defense, as predicted by the optimal defense hypothesis.

Temporal and spatial variation in C, N, S and trace element contents in the leaves of Quercus ilex within the urban area of Naples

This paper presents a comparative analysis of the concentrations of C, N and S and several trace elements (Fe, Mn, Na, Zn, Cu, V, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cd) in leaves of Quercus ilex, an evergreen oak, collected in the urban area of Naples in 1989 and 1996. The samplings were carried out from 25 urban sites (roads with different traffic flows as well as urban and suburban parks) and from two remote areas as controls. Relative to 1989, the values measured in 1996 denote a strong decrement of S, Fe, Na, Pb, and Cr, with the exception of S in control sites. By contrast, C, N and Cd contents were higher in 1996 than in 1989. Cu and Ni showed a conspicuous increment in control sites as well as in urban sites facing the sea and in the parks, while in all the other urban sites these elements decreased remarkably. No significant difference was found in the leaf contents of Mn, Zn and V measured in 1989 relative to 1996. Both in 1989 and 1996 the contents of N, S, Fe, Na, Cu, Pb, V, Ni, Cr and Cd were significantly higher in leaves from urban sites than in the controls, reflecting the high degree of contamination of the urban area. Concentration factors expressed as the ratio of road/control values for most of the elements were still very high in leaves collected in 1996, though remarkably lower than in 1989.