CO2浓度倍增对几种植物叶片的叶绿素蛋白质复合物的影响

研究了CO_2浓度倍增对大豆(Glycine max L.,C_3植物)、黄瓜(Cucumis sativus L.,C_3植物)、谷子(Setaria italica (L.) Beauv.,一种不很典型的C_4植物)和玉米(Zea mays L.,C_4植物)叶片的叶绿素蛋白质复合物的影响。实验植物盆栽于聚乙烯薄膜(或玻璃)的开顶式培养室中。播种后对照室的CO_2浓度立即保持在大气浓度(350±10)×10~(-6)中,CO_2浓度倍增处理室则保持在(700±10)×10~(-6)下。研究结果表明,对于大豆、黄瓜和谷子,CO_2浓度倍增均使其PSⅡ捕光叶绿素a/b-蛋白质复合物(LHCⅡ)的聚合体态的量增多,单体态的量减少。但C_4植物玉米对CO_2浓度倍增没有这样的反应。作者认为在大豆等植物中,LHCⅡ的上述状态变化可能是植物的光合机构对长期高CO_2浓度的一种适应效应,这样能提高光合作用中光能的吸收、传递和转换的效率,并支持高效的光合碳素同化作用。     

CO2浓度倍增对10种禾本科植物叶片形态结构的影响

在CO_2正常浓度(350μL/L)和倍增(700μL/L)条件下,对小麦(Triticum aestivum L.)、半野生小麦(T.aestivum ssp.tibeticum)、大麦(Hordeum vulgare L.)、野大麦(H.brevisubulatum(Trin.)Link)、水稻(Oryza sativa L.)、野生稻(O.meyeriana subsp.granulata)、谷子(Setaria italica(L.)Beauv)、狗尾草(S.viridis (L.)Beauv)、高粱(Sorghum vulgare Pers.)和玉米(Zea mays L.)等10种禾本科植物幼苗期叶的形态结构进行比较研究。结果表明,在CO_2浓度倍增条件下,除野大麦和玉米外,其它几种禾本科植物的叶片厚度普遍增加;表皮细胞密度下降(野大麦和谷子的远轴面除外)。其中C_3种类的平均气孔密度和气孔指数下降,C_4种类则呈相反趋势。在CO_2浓度倍增条件下,栽培种类表皮细胞密度和维管束鞘细胞中的叶绿体数明显增加,野生种类则呈相反趋势。气孔密度与气孔指数基本呈正相关。     

大豆主要株型和产量指标对大气CO2和温度升高的响应

针对当前气候变暖和大气CO_2浓度升高同步发生现实,以高光效大豆品种黑农41(HN41)和3个常规对照品种周豆16号(ZD16)、中豆35号(ZD35)和桂黄豆2号(GHD2)为研究对象,通过开顶式气室模拟高CO_2浓度(650μL/L)和温度升高(±0.5—0.6℃)研究了大气CO_2和温度升高对大豆的生长发育与产量影响。结果表明,CO_2浓度升高对株高、茎粗、单株干重和单株籽粒重影响极显著;温度、CO_2与品种互作极显著地影响单株籽粒重。CO_2浓度升高有增加大豆株高、茎粗、干重和单株籽粒重的趋势,且高温下CO_2浓度升高对株高和茎粗的促进作用更大,而正常温度水平下高CO_2浓度升高更有利于干物质积累。与对照CO_2浓度比,高CO_2浓度显著促进了高温下HN41、ZD16和GHD2的株高,并显著提高了正常温度下HN41、ZD16、ZD35和GHD2的单株干重。与正常温度相比,高温仅显著提高了高CO_2处理下HN41的茎粗,并显著提高了对照CO_2处理下HN41的单株籽粒重。此外,同一CO_2浓度和温度处理下,高光效大豆HN41的茎粗、根冠比和单株籽粒重等都显著高于ZD16、ZD35和GHD2;而仅在正常温度与高CO_2浓度处理下HN41的单株干重显著高于ZD16和GHD2。CO_2浓度和温度升高显著影响了高光效大豆的生长,其中,高温下CO_2浓度升高有利于其生长势,正常温度下CO_2浓度升高有利于其光合产物积累。     

CO2浓度倍增对垂柳和杜仲叶绿体吸收光能和激发能分配的影响

研究了CO_2浓度倍增对垂柳(Salix babylonica L.)和杜仲(Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.)叶片光合色素含量、叶绿体对光能吸收能力和激发能在两个光系统之间分配的影响。结果表明,CO_2 浓度倍增能提高垂柳叶片单位鲜重和单位叶面积叶绿素(Chl)和类胡萝卜素(Car)的含量;提高杜仲Chl含量,降低Car含量。CO_2浓度倍增能提高含等量Chl的叶绿体对光能的吸收和激发能在两个光系统间分配的调节能力。     

不同温度条件下亚热带森林土壤碳矿化对氮磷添加的响应

在氮沉降增加的背景下,土壤可利用性氮(N)素增加是多数陆地生态系统正经历的重要生态学过程。氮沉降增加对土壤呼吸会产生扰动,进而影响到森林土壤碳循环。以江西省泰和县石溪杉木林为研究对象,开展N沉降模拟试验,采用碱液吸收法分析4种不同N沉降处理在不同温度(5、15、25、35℃)下对土壤碳排放量的影响。N沉降对土壤呼吸具有抑制作用,随着温度的升高,各处理对土壤呼吸碳排放呈显著性增加趋势(P0.05)。不同温度条件下添加磷(P)处理对CO_2累积排放量与添加高N处理变化规律类似。在5℃条件下,N会抑制土壤碳矿化,且随N浓度升高抑制作用越强,P处理能促进土壤碳排放;15℃和35℃条件下,N和P处理对土壤碳排放量均有抑制作用。在较高温度(25℃和35℃)培养下,土壤全碳对CO_2累积排放量均有显著性影响。在25℃条件下,土壤DOC含量对土壤碳排放量的影响显著(P0.05),其他温度无影响。在5℃时,不同处理下土壤含水量对土壤碳排放量影响显著。对N沉降与土壤Q_(10)值进行方差分析表明不同处理对Q_(10)值无显著性差异。通过单库模式方程C_m=C_o(1-exp~(-kt))对土壤潜在碳排放进行模拟得出5、15℃和35℃对土壤潜在排放量有显著影响。     

CO2浓度倍增对谷子拔节期和灌浆期光合色素含量和PSⅡ功能的影响

研究了CO_2浓度倍增对谷子(Setaria italica (L.)Beauv.)叶片单位鲜重和单位叶面积叶绿素(Chl)和类胡萝卜素(Car)的含量以及PSⅡ功能的影响。结果表明,CO_2浓度倍增能提高拔节期成熟叶片和灌浆期成熟旗叶的Chl和Car的含量,并且能提高这两种叶片PSⅡ反应中心开放部分的比例。然而拔节期叶片和灌浆期旗叶的qN值和PSⅡ总的光化学量子产量,以及 F_v/F_o、F_v/F_m和F_d/F_s的值对CO_2浓度倍增的响应不同,表明CO_2浓度倍增对拔节期叶片光合功能的改善优于灌浆期的旗叶。     

不同CO_2浓度与温度条件下马铃薯叶片的淀粉浓度与比叶重和矿质元素浓度的关系(英文)

三个马铃薯(Solanum tuberosum L.)品种在500、1000、1500、2000μmol·mol~(-1)CO_2浓度与16、20℃空气温度下生长35d,测定了植株叶片的比叶重(g·m~(-2))、淀粉浓度及主要养分N、P、K、Ca、Mg的浓度。在16℃和20℃下,叶片淀粉浓度随CO_2浓度的增加而增加,且16℃下的测定值高于20℃下的测定值。比叶重与以叶面积或干重为基础的叶片淀粉浓度成正相关。叶片N、P、Ca、Mg浓度与14％范围内的淀粉浓度成负相关,但与高于14％的淀粉浓度无明显关系。去除淀粉效应后的比叶重及叶片养分浓度呈现类似的变化趋势。然而,不同CO_2浓度下的叶片K浓度相对稳定,因此受淀粉浓度影响较小。研究结果表明,不同CO_2浓度与温度条件下马铃薯叶片的比叶重及N、P、Ca、Mg浓度的变化不完全是叶片淀粉浓度的变化所致。     

CO_2浓度倍增对红松幼苗根尖和叶解剖结构及生理功能的影响

大气CO_2浓度升高对植物的影响是目前植物生态学研究中普遍关注的问题。以往的研究主要关注植物地上部分叶解剖结构及生理功能的改变,而对根解剖结构和生理功能变化以及根与叶变化之间潜在联系的研究较少。该文以三年生红松(Pinus koraiensis)幼苗为研究对象,通过CO_2浓度倍增(从350μmol·mol~(–1)增加到700μmol·mol~(–1))试验,研究当年生针叶和根尖解剖结构及生理功能的变化。结果表明:(1)CO_2浓度倍增处理的红松幼苗,气孔密度显著降低,叶肉组织面积、木质部及韧皮部面积明显增加;(2)CO_2浓度倍增导致红松幼苗根尖直径增粗,皮层厚度和层数显著增加,管胞直径变小;(3)高CO_2浓度处理下,叶气孔导度和蒸腾速率降低,光合速率和水分利用效率提高,同时根尖的导水率显著下降,但管胞的抗栓塞能力显著提高。这些结果显示,叶和根解剖结构及生理功能在CO_2浓度升高条件下具有一致的响应。未来研究中应该同时关注全球气候变化对植物地上和地下器官结构与功能的影响。     

北京城区夏、秋季节短期增温对月季暗呼吸及光合参数的影响

与光呼吸不同,光对植物叶片暗呼吸具有明显抑制作用。目前,植物叶片这一生理生态现象很少受到关注,但光抑制呼吸会导致叶片日间碳损失,对植物碳平衡有重要影响。利用Li-6400(Li-Cor,USA)光合仪模拟北京城区夏、秋季增温对月季(Rosa chinensis)叶片暗呼吸及光合参数的影响。结果表明:(1)短期增温处理显著提高了蒸腾速率(Tr),降低了胞间CO2浓度(Ci),夏季增温时气孔导度(Gs)降低而秋季增温明显升高。(2)夏季增温5℃,有光暗呼吸(RL)显著高于增温2℃(P0.05),而增温2℃对RL影响不显著(P0.05);秋季增温5℃,RL显著高于增温3℃(P0.05)。4个不同短期增温处理都对无光暗呼吸(RD)影响显著(P0.05)。(3)秋季增温5℃对光抑制呼吸影响显著(P0.05);其它3个短期增温影响不显著(P0.05)。(4)秋季增温5℃,月季暗呼吸对增温敏感性显著高于增温3℃的值(P0.05)。目的为分析城市白昼气温上升导致植物叶片碳损失估计提供实验案例,是提高城市植物碳汇生态服务功能可能途径的基础。     

全球变化条件下植物个体的生理生态学模型

天气模型中应用随机模拟方法,产生以天或小时为时间间隔的气温、降水、相对湿度、云量、太阳辐射等天气要素的动态变化时间序列。利用北京地区近30年天气资料进行了模拟验证,模拟结果与实际的天气变化进程相符。生理生态模型描述了净光合速率、气孔传导度、蒸腾速率、水分利用效率的变化机理。结合开顶式CO_2浓度倍增大豆(Glycine max(L.)Merr.)生长实验,分析了这些生理生态特性在全球变化下的动态响应机制,并进行了模拟预测。结果表明:CO_2浓度倍增情况下,净光合速率提高45％,其中光量子效率显著增加,而CO_2传导系数略有下降;气孔传导度、蒸腾速率下降约30％;水分利用效率随CO_2浓度增加几乎呈线性增长,倍增后提高近一倍。     

Responses of Plant Dark Respiration to Doubled CO2 Concentration

Ten species of plants were grown at ambient (350μmol CO2·mol-1 air) and doubled (700 μmol CO2·mol-1 air) CO2 concentrations at ambient temperature and illumination in order to examine changes of dark respiration of whole seedlings or detached leaves. Effects of CO2 on dark respiration were determined by brief exposure ( ≤ 5 min) to corresponding CO2 concentration and temperatures ( 15,20,25,30 and 35 ℃ ) with infrared CO2 analyzer. The reductions in dark respiration on a weight base for leaves of East-Liaoning oak (Quercus liaotungensis Koidz. ) at 15,20 and 25 ℃ and of soybean ( Glycine max L. ) at 20,25,30 and 35 ℃ and for whole seedlings of three- tcoloured amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor L. ) at 15 and 20 ℃ and cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L. ) at 15 cE measured at elevated concentration relative to the ambient CO2 concentration were observed. No significant difference in respiration responded was observed to elevated or ambient CO2 concentrations at 15 ℃ in maize (Zea mays L. ) seedlings and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. ) leaves, at 35 ℃ in East-Liaoning oak leaves and at 20,25 and 30 ℃ in three-coloured amaranth seedlings. However CO2 efflux in leaves of weeping willow (Salix babylonica L. ), simon poplar (Populus simonii Carr. ) and eucommia (Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. ) at 15,20,25,30 and 35 ℃, alfalfa at 20,25,30 and 35 ℃, East-Liaoning oak at 30 ℃, maize at 15 ℃, seedlings of common buckwheat (Fagotrytum esculentum Moench) at 15,20,25,30 and 35 ℃, cucumber and maize at 20,25,30 and 35 ℃ and three-coloured amaranth at 35 ℃ showed an increase at elevated in contrast to ambient CO2 concentration. In general, at lower temperatures (i. e. 15, 20 ℃ ) there was no significant difference between elevated and ambient CO2 concentration for dark respiration, while at higher temperatures (i. e. 30,35 ℃ ) elevated CO2 concentration positively stimulate clark respiretion. It has not yet been described that double CO2 concentration could enhance plant dark respiration at 30 and 35 ℃. Impacts of the characteristics in dark respiration on the future changes of vegetation and its mechanism were discussed.     

Acclimation of Respiratory O2 Uptake in Green Tissues of Field-Grown Native Species after Long-Term Exposure to Elevated Atmospheric CO2

C3 and C4 plants were grown in open-top chambers in the field at two CO2 concentrations, normal ambient (ambient) and normal ambient + 340 [mu]LL-1 (elevated). Dark oxygen uptake was measured in leaves and stems using a liquid-phase Clark-type oxygen electrode. High CO2 treatment decreased dark oxygen uptake in stems of Scirpus olneyi (C3) and leaves of Lindera benzoin (C3) expressed on either a dry weight or area basis. Respiration of Spartina patens (C4) leaves was unaffected by CO2 treatment. Leaf dry weight per unit area was unchanged by CO2, but respiration per unit of carbon or per unit of nitrogen was decreased in the C3 species grown at high CO2. The component of respiration in stems of S. olneyi and leaves of L. benzoin primarily affected by long-term exposure to the elevated CO2 treatment was the activity of the cytochrome pathway. Elevated CO2 had no effect on activity and capacity of the alternative pathway in S. olneyi. The cytochrome c oxidase activity, assayed in a cell-free extract, was strongly decreased by growth at high CO2 in stems of S. olneyi but it was unaffected in S. patens leaves. The activity of cytochrome c oxidase and complex III extracted from mature leaves of L. benzoin was also decreased after one growing season of plant exposure to elevated CO2 concentration. These results show that in some C3 species respiration will be reduced when plants are grown in elevated atmospheric CO2. The possible physiological causes and implications of these effects are discussed.     

Seasonal variation in respiration of 1-year-old shoots of scots pine exposed to elevated carbon dioxide and temperature for 4 years

Sixteen 20-year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees growing in the field were enclosed for 4 years in environment-controlled chambers that maintained: (1) ambient conditions (CON); (2) elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration (ambient + 350 micro mol mol-1; EC); (3) elevated temperature (ambient +2-6 degrees C; ET); or (4) elevated CO2 and elevated temperature (ECT). The dark respiration rates of 1-year-old shoots, from which needles had been partly removed, were measured over the growing season in the fourth year. In all treatments, the temperature coefficient of respiration, Q10, changed with season, being smaller during the growing season than at other times. Respiration rate varied diurnally and seasonally with temperature, being highest around mid-summer and declining gradually thereafter. When measurements were made at the temperature of the chamber, respiration rates were reduced by the EC treatment relative to CON, but were increased by ET and ECT treatments. However, respiration rates at a reference temperature of 15 degrees C were reduced by ET and ECT treatments, reflecting a decreased capacity for respiration at warmer temperatures (negative acclimation). The interaction between season and treatment was not significant. Growth respiration did not differ between treatments, but maintenance respiration did, and the differences in mean daily respiration rate between the treatments were attributable to the maintenance component. We conclude that maintenance respiration should be considered when modelling respiratory responses to elevated CO2 and elevated temperature, and that increased atmospheric temperature is more important than increasing CO2 when assessing the carbon budget of pine forests under conditions of climate change.     

CO2浓度升高和施氮条件下小麦根际呼吸对土壤呼吸的贡献

依托FACE技术平台,采用稳定13C同位素技术,通过将小麦(C3作物)种植于长期单作玉米(C4作物)的土壤上,研究了大气CO2浓度升高和不同氮肥水平对土壤排放CO2的δ13C值及根际呼吸的影响.结果表明:种植小麦后土壤排放CO2的δ13C值随作物生长逐渐降低,CO2浓度升高200 μmol·mol-1显著降低了孕穗、抽穗期(施氮量为250 kg·hm-2,HN)与拔节、孕穗期(施氮量为150 kg·hm-2,LN)土壤排放CO2的δ13C值,显著提高了孕穗、抽穗期的根际呼吸比例.拔节至成熟期,根际呼吸占土壤呼吸的比例在高CO2浓度下为24％～48％ (HN)和21％ ～48％ (LN),在正常CO2浓度下为20％ ～36％ (HN)和19％～32％(LN).不同CO2浓度下土壤排放CO2的δ13C值和根际呼吸对氮肥增加的响应不同,CO2浓度与氮肥用量在拔节期对根际呼吸的交互效应显著.     

Growth and maintenance respiration in leaves of northern red oak seedlings and mature trees after 3 years of ozone exposure

A two-component model of growth and maintenance respiration is used to study the response of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) seedlings and 32-year-old trees to sub-ambient (10 μmol h; cumulative dose based on 7 h daily mean), ambient (43 μmol h), and twice-ambient (85 μmolh) ozone. The relative growth rates (RGR) of leaves sampled from seedlings and trees were similar across treatments, as were specific leaf respiration rates (SRR). Growth coefficients estimated from the SRR versus RGR relationship averaged 25-3 mol CO2 kg^?1 leaf dry mass produced for seedlings and 21-5 mol kg^?1 for trees. Maintenance coefficients ranged from 0-89 to 1-07 mol CO₂ kg^?1 leaf dry mass d^?1 for seedlings and from 0-64 to 0-84 mol kg-1 d^?1 for trees. Neither coefficient was affected by ozone. Leaves sampled throughout the growing season also showed little response of respiration to ozone. This occurred despite a 30% reduction in net photosynthesis for trees grown at twice-ambient ozone. These results suggest that growth and maintenance respiration in young northern red oak leaves are not affected by ozone and that in older leaves injury can occur without a parallel increase in so-called ‘maintenance’ respiration.     

12CO2 emission from different metabolic pathways measured in illuminated and darkened C3 and C4 leaves at low,atmospheric and elevated CO2 concentration

The detection of 12CO2 emission from leaves in air containing 13CO2 allows simple and fast determination of the CO2 emitted by different sources, which are separated on the basis of their labelling velocity. This technique was exploited to investigate the controversial effect of CO2 concentration on mitochondrial respiration. The 12CO2 emission was measured in illuminated and darkened leaves of one C4 plant and three C3 plants maintained at low (30-50 ppm), atmospheric (350-400 ppm) and elevated (700-800 ppm) CO2 concentration. In C3 leaves, the 12CO2 emission in the light (Rd) was low at ambient CO2 and was further quenched in elevated CO2, when it was often only 20-30% of the 12CO2 emission in the dark, interpreted as the mitochondrial respiration in the dark (Rn). Rn was also reduced in elevated CO2. At low CO2, Rd was often 70-80% of Rn, and a burst of 12CO2 was observed on darkening leaves of Mentha sativa and Phragmites australis after exposure for 4 min to 13CO2 in the light. The burst was partially removed at low oxygen and was never observed in C4 leaves, suggesting that it may be caused by incomplete labelling of the photorespiratory pool at low CO2. This pool may be low in sclerophyllous leaves, as in Quercus ilex where no burst was observed. Rd was inversely associated with photosynthesis, suggesting that the Rd/Rn ratio reflects the refixation of respiratory CO2 by photosynthesizing leaves rather than the inhibition of mitochondrial respiration in the light, and that CO2 produced by mitochondrial respiration in the light is mostly emitted at low CO2, and mostly refixed at elevated CO2. In the leaves of the C4 species Zea mays, the 12CO2 emission in the light also remained low at low CO2, suggesting efficient CO2 refixation associated with sustained photosynthesis in non-photorespiratory conditions. However, Rn was inhibited in CO2-free air, and the velocity of 12CO2 emission after darkening was inversely associated with the CO2 concentration. The emission may be modulated by the presence of post-illumination CO2 uptake deriving from temporary imbalance between C3 and C4 metabolism. These experiments suggest that this uptake lasts longer at low CO2 and that the imbalance is persistent once it has been generated by exposure to low CO2.     

Response of respiration of soybean leaves grown at ambient and elevated carbon dioxide concentrations to day-to-day variation in light and temperature under field conditions

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Respiration is an important component of plant carbon balance, but it remains uncertain how respiration will respond to increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, and there are few measurements of respiration for crop plants grown at elevated [CO(2)] under field conditions. The hypothesis that respiration of leaves of soybeans grown at elevated [CO(2)] is increased is tested; and the effects of photosynthesis and acclimation to temperature examined. METHODS: Net rates of carbon dioxide exchange were recorded every 10 min, 24 h per day for mature upper canopy leaves of soybeans grown in field plots at the current ambient [CO(2)] and at ambient plus 350 micromol mol(-1) [CO(2)] in open top chambers. Measurements were made on pairs of leaves from both [CO(2)] treatments on a total of 16 d during the middle of the growing seasons of two years. KEY RESULTS: Elevated [CO(2)] increased daytime net carbon dioxide fixation rates per unit of leaf area by an average of 48 %, but had no effect on night-time respiration expressed per unit of area, which averaged 53 mmol m(-2) d(-1) (1.4 micromol m(-2) s(-1)) for both the ambient and elevated [CO(2)] treatments. Leaf dry mass per unit of area was increased on average by 23 % by elevated [CO(2)], and respiration per unit of mass was significantly lower at elevated [CO(2)]. Respiration increased by a factor of 2.5 between 18 and 26 degrees C average night temperature, for both [CO(2)] treatments. CONCLUSIONS: These results do not support predictions that elevated [CO(2)] would increase respiration per unit of area by increasing photosynthesis or by increasing leaf mass per unit of area, nor the idea that acclimation of respiration to temperature would be rapid enough to make dark respiration insensitive to variation in temperature between nights.     

Below-ground respiratory responses of sugar maple and red maple saplings to atmospheric CO2 enrichment and elevated air temperature

The research described in this paper represents a part of a much broader research project with the general objective of describing the effects of elevated [CO2] and temperature on tree growth, physiological processes, and ecosystem-level processes. The specific objective of this research was to examine the below-ground respiratory responses of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and red maple (Acer rubrum L.) seedlings to elevated atmospheric [CO2] and temperature. Red maple and sugar maple seedlings were planted in the ground in each of 12 open-top chambers and exposed from 1994 through 1997 to ambient air or air enriched with 30 Pa CO2,< in combination with ambient or elevated (+4 °C) air temperatures. Carbon dioxide efflux was measured around the base of the seedlings and from root-exclusion zones at intervals during 1995 and 1996 and early 1997. The CO2 efflux rates averaged 0.4 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1 in the root-exclusion zones and 0.75 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1 around the base of the seedlings. Mineral soil respiration in root-exclusion zones averaged 12% higher in the high temperature treatments than at ambient temperature, but was not affected by CO2 treatments. The fraction of total efflux attributable to root + rhizosphere respiration ranged from 14 to 61% in measurements made around red maple plants, and from 35 to 62% around sugar maple plants. Root respiration rates ranged from 0 to 0.94 μmol CO2 s-1 m-2 of soil surface in red maple and from 0 to 1.02 in sugar maple. In both 1995 and 1996 root respiration rates of red maple were highest in high-CO2 treatments and lowest in high temperature treatments. Specific red maple root respiration rates of excised roots from near the soil surface in 1996 were also highest under CO2 enrichment and lowest in high temperature treatments. In sugar maple the highest rates of CO2 efflux were from around the base of plants exposed to both high temperature and high-CO2, even though specific respiration rates were< lowest for this species under the high temperature and CO2 enrichment regime. In both species, patterns of response to treatments were similar in root respiration and root mass, indicating that the root respiration responses were due in part to differences in root mass. The results underscore the need for separating the processes occurring in the roots from those in the forest floor and mineral soil in order to increase our understanding of the effects of global climate change on carbon sequestration and cycling in the below-ground systems of forests.     

Responses of Antioxidative Systems to Drought Stress in Pendunculate Oak and Maritime Pine as Modulated by Elevated CO2

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of an enhanced CO2 concentration alone or in combination with drought stress on antioxidative systems of a deciduous (oak; Quercus robur) and an evergreen (pine; Pinus pinaster) tree species. The seedlings were grown for one season in a greenhouse in tunnels supplied with 350 or 700 [mu]L L-1 CO2. The experiment was repeated in a second year. Antioxidants, protective enzymes, soluble protein, and pigments showed considerable fluctuations in different years. Elevated CO2 caused significant reductions in the activities of superoxide dismutases in both oak and pine. The activities of ascorbate peroxidase and catalase were also reduced in most cases. The activities of dehydroascorbate reductase, monodehydroascorbate radical reductase, glutathione reductase, and guaiacol peroxidase were affected little or not at all by elevated CO2. When the trees were subjected to drought stress by withholding water, the activities of antioxidative enzymes decreased in leaves of pine and oak grown at ambient CO2 and increased in plants grown at elevated CO2 concentrations. The present results suggest that growth in elevated CO2 might reduce oxidative stress to which leaf tissues are normally exposed and enhance metabolic flexibility to encounter increased stress by increases in antioxidative capacity.     

Direct and Indirect Effects of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Enrichment on Leaf Respiration of Glycine max (L.) Merr

Long-term and short-term effects of CO2 enrichment on dark respiration were investigated using soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) plants grown at either 35.5 or 71.0 Pa CO2. Indirect effects, or effects of growth in elevated CO2, were examined using a functional model that partitioned respiration into growth and maintenance components. Direct effects, or immediate effects of a short-term change in CO2, were examined by measuring dark respiration, first, at the CO2 partial pressure at which plants were grown, and second, after equilibration in the reciprocal CO2 partial pressure. The functional component model indicated that the maintenance coefficient of respiration increased 34% with elevated CO2, whereas the growth coefficient was not significantly affected. Changes in maintenance respiration were correlated with a 33% increase in leaf total nonstructural carbohydrate concentration, but leaf nitrogen content of soybean leaves was not affected by CO2 enrichment. Thus, increased maintenance respiration may be a consequence of increased nonstructural carbohydrate accumulation. When whole soybean plants were switched from low CO2 to high CO2 for a brief period, leaf respiration was always reduced. However, this direct effect of CO2 partial pressure was approximately 50% less in plants grown in elevated CO2. We conclude from this study that there are potentially important effects of CO2 enrichment on plant respiration but that the effects are different for plants given a short-term increase in CO2 partial pressure versus plants grown in elevated CO2.