Biomass allocation and organs growth of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) under elevated CO2 and different N supply

This article studied the effects of nitrogen (N) and CO₂ enrichment on biomass and N accumulation and partitioning of cucumber grown in open top chambers. At the seedling stage, elevated CO₂ increased the biomass and N content of the entire plant. The root had the largest increase in biomass and N content among the organs and more biomass allocation. The largest drops of N concentration showed in root at moderate and high N, in leaf at low N, respectively. Elevated CO₂ increased stem biomass allocation at moderate and high N, but decreased leaf biomass allocation at all N levels. At the initial fruit stage, the response to elevated CO₂ of biomass and N content decreased. Elevated CO₂ increased biomass allocation to leaf and resulted in the largest drop of leaf N concentration at low and moderate N supply. High N supply promoted biomass production and N reallocation from the leaf to fruit, but decreased leaf biomass allocation. Thus, biomass allocation is initially affected by root–shoot growth balance to adapt to enriched CO₂, leading to the largest root growth, then biomass allocates to another sink (stem). Long exposure of elevated CO₂ results in photosynthetic acclimation in deficient N supply, which probably attributes to excessive stem and leaf biomass allocation and shortage of fruit storage. But high N shifts biomass allocation from leaf to fruit. Practically, sufficient N supply is needed for an efficient transport of carbohydrates to fruits and increases the yields under elevated CO₂.     

Nine years of enriched CO2 changes the function and structural diversity of soil microorganisms in a grassland

To gain insight into microbial function following increased atmospheric CO₂ concentration, we investigated the influence of 9 years of enriched CO₂ (600 μl litre⁻¹) on the function and structural diversity of soil microorganisms in a grassland ecosystem under free air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE), as affected by plant species (Trifolium repens L. and Lolium perenne L. in monocultures and mixed culture) and nitrogen (N) supply. We measured biomass and activities of enzymes covering cycles of the most important elements (C, N and P). The microbial community was profiled by molecular techniques of phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis. The enrichment in CO₂ increased soil microbial biomass (+48.1%) as well as activities of invertase (+36.2%), xylanase (+22.9%), urease (+23.8%), protease (+40.2%) and alkaline phosphomonoesterase (+54.1%) in spring 2002. In autumn, the stimulation of microbial biomass was 25% less and that of enzymes 3–12% less than in spring. Strong correlations between activities of invertase, protease, urease and alkaline phosphomonoesterase and microbial biomass were found. The stimulation of microbial activity in the enriched atmosphere was probably caused by changes in the quantity and kind of root litter and rhizodeposition. The response of soil microorganisms to enriched CO₂ was most pronounced under Trifolium monoculture and under greater N supply. The PLFA analysis revealed that total PLFA contents were greater by 24.7% on average, whereby the proportion of bioindicators representative of Gram‐negative bacteria increased significantly in the enriched CO₂ under less N‐fertilized Lolium culture. Discriminant analysis showed marked differences between the PLFA profiles of the three plant communities. Shannon diversity indices calculated from DGGE patterns were greater (+12.5%) in the enriched CO₂, indicating increased soil bacterial diversity. We conclude that greater microbial biomass and enzyme activity buffer the potential increase in C sequestration occurring from greater C addition in enriched CO₂ due to greater mineralization of soil organic matter.     

不同供磷状况下CO2浓度升高对番茄根系生长及养分吸收的影响

采用培养试验研究了磷缺乏与正常供磷条件下,CO₂浓度由350μL/L升高至800μL/L苗期番茄的生物量、根系特征和不同器官N、P、K养分含量的变化。结果表明,无论缺磷与否,CO₂浓度升高均能显著增加番茄地上部及根系的干物质积累量,提高根冠比。在磷缺乏条件下,CO₂浓度升高对番茄根系生长的促进主要表现为增加根系的体积和表面积;而在磷正常供应条件下主要表现为同时增加根体积和分根数,有利于形成强壮的根系。在两种供磷水平下,CO₂浓度升高对番茄各器官的N、P、K含量产生不同的稀释效应,但N、P、K总积累量却随CO₂浓度升高而显著增加;而且CO₂浓度与供P水平对番茄植株的N、P、K积累量具有极显著的正交互效应。     

Der Umsatz von Pflanzenwurzeln im Laufe der Vegetationsperiode und dessen Beitrag zur „Bodenatmung”︁

The Turnover of Plant Roots during the Growth Period and its Influence on “Soll Respiration” Mustard and wheat plants were grown under ¹⁴CO₂, their roots being tightly separated from the shoot sphere. Root formation, root respiration, and root decomposition could thus be followed during the plant development by radiometric methods. The total quantity of organic root matter in soil at harvest time turned out to be 20–50% larger than the amount of root residues as determined by ordinary washing procedures. Depending on the plant and duration of the experiment, an additional amount of up to three times more than this remaining root carbon was already mineralized during the vegetation period. Only one fifth of this ¹⁴CO₂-production could be attributed to the respiration of living root tissue, all the remainder seemed to be due to the microbial decomposition of dead roots, root residues and root excretions. Root respiration and root decomposition together produced almost four fifths of the total evolving CO₂-quantity, whilst the contribution from soil organic matter breakdown did not exceed one fourth of it. According to these data, the total rhizo-deposition amounts to 3–4 times as much organic substance than what can be found as root residues at harvest time. This rich supply of readily decomposable organic matter leads to a most intensive turnover in the rhizosphere, which should be of considerable influence on the dynamic processes in soil.     

Abundance and community structure of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea in a temperate forest ecosystem under ten-years elevated CO2

Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) are considered as the key drivers of global nitrogen (N) biogeochemical cycling. Responses of the associated microorganisms to global changes remain unclear. This study was to determine if there was a shift in soil AOB and AOA abundances and community structures under free-air carbon dioxide (CO₂) enrichment (FACE) and N fertilization in Duke Forest of North Carolina, by using DNA-based molecular techniques, i.e., quantitative PCR, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and clone library. The N fertilization alone increased the abundance of bacterial amoA gene, but this effect was not observed under elevated CO₂ condition. There was no significant effect of the N fertilization on the thaumarchaeal amoA gene abundance in the ambient CO₂ treatments, while such effect increased significantly under elevated CO₂. A total of 690 positive clones for AOA and 607 for AOB were selected for RFLP analysis. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that effects of CO₂ enrichment and N fertilization on the community structure of AOA and AOB were not significant. Canonical correspondence analysis also showed that soil pH rather than elevated CO₂ or N fertilization shaped the distribution of AOB and AOA genotypes. A negative linear relationship between the δ¹³C and archaeal amoA gene abundance indicated a positive effect of elevated CO₂ on the growth ammonia oxidizing archaea. On the other hand, the community structures of AOB and AOA are determined by the soil niche properties rather than elevated CO₂ and N fertilization.     

Effects of long-term exposure to enriched CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> on the nutrient-supplying capacity of a grassland soil

Altered soil nutrient cycling under future climate scenarios may affect pasture production and fertilizer management. We conducted a controlled-environment study to test the hypothesis that long-term exposure of pasture to enriched carbon dioxide (CO₂) would lower soil nutrient availability. Perennial ryegrass was grown for 9 weeks under ambient and enriched (ambient + 120 ppm) CO₂ concentrations in soil collected from an 11.5-year free air CO₂ enrichment experiment in a grazed pasture in New Zealand. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizers were applied in a full factorial design at rates of 0, 12.5, 25 or 50 kg N ha⁻¹ and 0, 17.5 or 35 kg P ha⁻¹. Compared to ambient CO₂, under enriched CO₂ without P fertilizer, total plant biomass did not respond to N fertilizer, and tissue N/P ratio was increased indicating that P was co-limiting. This limitation was alleviated with the lowest rate of P fertilizer (17.5 kg P ha⁻¹). Plant biomass in both CO₂ treatments increased with increasing N fertilizer when sufficient P was available. Greater inputs of P fertilizer may be required to prevent yield suppression under enriched CO₂ and to stimulate any response to N.     

Nitrogen and phosphorus nutritional interactions in a CO2 enriched environment

Nonnodulated soybean plants (Glycine max. [L.] Merr. ‘Lee') were supplied with nutrient solutions containing growth limiting concentrations of N or P to examine effects on N‐ and P‐uptake efficiencies (mg nutrient accumulated/gdw root) and utilization efficiencies in dry matter production (gdw²/mg nutrient). Nutritional treatments were imposed in aerial environments containing either 350 or 700 μL/L atmospheric CO₂ to determine whether the nutrient interactions were modified when growth rates were altered.

Nutrient‐stress treatments decreased growth and N‐ and P‐uptake and utilization efficiencies at 27 days after transplanting (DAT) and seed yield at maturity (98 DAT). Atmospheric CO₂ enrichment increased growth and N‐ and P‐utilization efficiencies at 27 DAT and seed yield in all nutritional treatments and did not affect N‐ and P‐uptake efficiencies at 27 DAT. Parameter responses to nutrient stress at 27 DAT were not altered by atmospheric CO₂ enrichment and vice versa. Nutrient‐stress treatments lowered the relative seed yield response to atmospheric CO₂ enrichment.

Decreased total‐N uptake by P‐stressed plants was associated with both decreased root growth and N‐uptake efficiency of the roots. Nitrogen‐utilization efficiency was also decreased by P‐stress. This response was associated with decreased plant growth as total‐N uptake and plant growth were decreased to the same extent by P stress resulting in unaltered tissue N concentrations. In contrast, decreased total P‐uptake by N‐stressed plants was associated with a restriction in root growth as P‐uptake efficiency of the roots was unaltered. This response was coupled with an increased root‐to‐shoot dry weight ratio; thus shoot and whole‐plant growth were decreased to a much greater extent than total‐P uptake which resulted in elevated P concentrations in the tissue. Therefore, P‐utilization efficiency was markedly reduced by N stress.     

CO2浓度升高对番茄苗根系生长及其吲哚乙酸和乙烯含量的影响

A hydroponic experiment was carried out to study the effect of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) on root growth of tomato seedlings. Compared with the control (350 μL L-1), CO2 enrichment (800 μL L-1) significantly increased the dry matter of both shoot and root, the ratio of root to shoot, total root length, root surface area, root diameter, root volume, and root tip numbers, which are important for forming a strong root system. The elevated CO2 treatment also significantly improved root hair development and elongation, thus enhancing nutrient uptake. Increased indole acetic acid concentration in plant tissues and ethylene release in the elevated CO2 treatment might have resulted in enhanced root growth and root hair development and elongation.     

Short and long-term effects of elevated CO2 on Lolium perenne rhizodeposition and its consequences on soil organic matter turnover and plant N yield

It is still unclear whether elevated CO₂ increases plant root exudation and consequently affects the soil microbial biomass. The effects of elevated CO₂ on the fate of the C and nitrogen (N) contained in old soil organic matter pools is also unclear. In this study the short and long-term effects of elevated CO₂ on C and N pools and fluxes were assessed by growing isolated plants of ryegrass (Lolium perenne) in glasshouses at elevated and ambient atmospheric CO₂ and using soil from the New Zealand FACE site that had >4 years exposure to CO₂ enrichment. Using ¹⁴CO₂ pulse labelling, the effects of elevated CO₂ on C allocation within the plant-soil system were studied. Under elevated CO₂ more root derived C was found in the soil and in the microbial biomass 48 h after labelling. The increased availability of substrate significantly stimulated soil microbial growth and acted as priming effect, enhancing native soil organic matter decomposition regardless of the mineral N supply. Despite indications of faster N cycling in soil under elevated CO₂, N availability to plants stayed unchanged. Soil previously exposed to elevated CO₂ exhibited a higher N cycling rate but again there was no effect on plant N uptake. With respect to the difficulties of extrapolating glasshouse experiment results to the field, we concluded that the accumulation of coarse organic matter observed in the field under elevated CO₂ was probably not created by an imbalance between C and N but was likely to be due to more complex phenomena involving soil mesofauna and/or other nutrients limitations.     

Elevated carbon dioxide and nitrogen supply affect photosynthesis and nitrogen partitioning of two wheat varieties

The response of wheat to elevated carbon dioxide concentration (e[CO₂]) is likely to be dependent on nitrogen supply. To investigate the underlying mechanism of growth response to e[CO₂], two wheat cultivars were grown under different carbon dioxide concentration [CO₂] in a chamber experimental facility. The changes in leaf photosynthesis, C and N concentration, and biomass were investigated under different [CO₂] and N supply. The result showed an increase in photosynthesis under e[CO₂] at all N level except the one with the lowest N supply. Furthermore, a significant decrease in g_s and Tr for both the cultivars was also observed under e[CO₂] at all N levels. A considerable increase in WUEi was observed for both the cultivars under e[CO₂] at all N levels except for the lowest concentration one. Therefore, the study shows that a stimulation of plant growth under e[CO₂] to be marginal at higher N supply.     

Effects of carbon dioxide enrichment on cotton nutrient dynamics

The rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration is predicted to have positive effects on agro‐ecosystem productivity. However, an area which requires further study centers on nutrient dynamics of crops grown under elevated CO₂ in the field. In 1989 and 1990, cotton [Gossypium hirsutum (L.) ‘Deltapine 77'] was grown under two CO₂ levels [370 umol mol^‐1=ambient and 550 μmol mor^‐1=free‐air CO₂ enrichment (FACE)]. At physiological maturity, nutrient concentration and content of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) were determined for whole plant and individual plant organs. While the effects of added CO₂ on whole plant nutrient concentrations and contents were consistent, some differences among plant organs were observed between years. FACE often decreased tissue nutrient concentration, but increased total nutrient accumulation. Results indicate that under elevated CO₂, field grown cotton was more nutrient efficient in terms of nutrient retrieval from the soil and nutrient utilization in the plant. This implies more efficient fertilizer utilization, better economic return for fertilizer expenditures, and reduced environmental impact from agricultural fertilization practices in the future.     

Effect of elevated carbon dioxide on growth,nutrient partitioning,and uptake of major nutrients by soybean under varied nitrogen application levels

Rising carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration causes fertilization effects resulting in enhanced crop biomass and yields and thus likely enhances nutrient demand of plants. Hence, this field study was carried out to investigate the effects of elevated CO₂ and N on biomass yield, nutrient partitioning, and uptake of major nutrients by soybean (Glycine max L.) using open‐top chambers (OTCs) of 4 m × 4 m size. Soybean was grown in OTCs under two CO₂ [ambient and elevated (535 ± 36.9 mg L^?1)] and four N levels during July to October 2016. The four N levels were N₀, N₅₀, N₁₀₀, and N₁₅₀ referring to 0, 50, 100, and 150% recommended dose of N. Both CO₂ and N significantly affected biomass and grain yield, though the interaction was non‐significant. CO₂ enrichment produced 30–65% higher biomass and 26–59% higher grain yield under various N levels. As compared to the optimum N application (N₁₀₀), the CO₂‐mediated increment in biomass yield decreased with either lower or higher N application, with the response being lowest at N₁₅₀. As compared to ambient concentration, elevated CO₂ resulted in significant reduction of seed P concentration at all N application levels but at N₁₅₀, an opposite trend was observed. The decrease in seed P was maximum at N₀ and N₅₀ (7–9%) and by 3% at N₁₀₀, whereas there was a gain of 7.5% at N₁₅₀. The seed N and K concentrations were not affected either by CO₂ or N application. Total N, P, and K uptake at harvest were significantly affected by CO₂ and N, but not by CO₂ × N interaction. Elevated CO₂ resulted higher uptake of N by 18–61%, P by 23–62%, and K by 22–62% under various N treatments.     

Carbon dioxide enrichment decreases critical nitrate and nitrogen concentrations in wheat

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels are increasing. In a glasshouse experiment with wheat grown at 5 levels of nitrate (NO₃) supply, CO₂ enrichment (1500 cm³/m³) substantially decreased critical concentrations of N03‐N and total‐N in stem bases and leaves. For example, critical NO₃‐N concentrations in stem bases at Feekes Stages 1.5, 5, and 10.3, were 4.5, 2.0, and 2.0 mg/g dry wt, respectively, for CO₂‐enriched plants, compared with 7.5, 6.2 and 6.4 mg/g dry wt, respectively, for control plants grown at the ambient level of CO₂. However, concentrations of NO₃‐N in the rooting medium required to produce maximum dry matter accumulation by CO₂‐enriched plants were similar to those of control plants at the three growth stages. Critical concentrations of NO₃‐N and total‐N declined with time in stem bases and leaves of plants grown at both ambient and elevated CO₂ levels, but the decline was greater for CO₂‐enriched plants. It was concluded that diagnostic criteria based on current critical N concentrations may become invalid as the atmospheric level of CO₂ increases.     

Phosphorus‐deficiency effects on response of symbiotic N2 fixation and carbohydrate status in soybean to atmospheric CO2 enrichment

The impact of phosphorus (P) deficiency on response of symbiotic N₂ fixation and carbohydrate accumulation in soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) to atmospheric CO₂ enrichment was examined. Plants inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum MN 110 were grown in growth chambers with controlled atmospheres of 400 and 800 μL CO₂ L^‐1 and supplied either 1.0 mM‐P (P‐sufficient) or 0.05 mM‐P (P‐deficient) nitrogen (N)‐free nutrient solution. When plants were supplied with sufficient P, CO₂ enrichment significantly increased whole plant dry mass (83%), nodule mass (67%), total nitrogenase activity (58%), and N (35%) and P (47%) accumulation at 35 days after transplanting (DAT). Under sufficient P supply, CO₂ enrichment significantly increased starch concentrations in nodules compared to the normal atmospheric CO₂ treatment. Under normal CO₂ levels (400 μL L^‐1) nonstructural carbohydrate concentration (starch plus soluble sugar) was significantly higher in leaves of P‐deficient plants than in leaves of P‐sufficient plants in which nonstructural carbohydrate concentration exhibited a strong diurnal pattern. Under deficient P supply whole plant dry mass, symbiotic N₂‐fixation parameters, and N and P accumulation were not enhanced by atmospheric CO₂ enrichment. Phosphorus deficiency decreased nonstructural carbohydrate accumulation in nodules at the end of a 10‐day period in which functional activity was developing by 86% relative to P‐sufficient controls. While P deficiency elicited significant increases in the nonstructural carbohydrate concentration in leaves, it caused significant decreases in the nonstructural carbohydrate concentration in nodules over the diurnal cycle from 30 to 31 DAT. Collectively, these results indicate that the lack of a symbiotic N₂‐fixation response to atmospheric CO₂ enrichment by P‐deficient plants may be related to the decreased carbohydrate status of nodules.     

Changes in micronutrient availability and plant uptake under simulated climate change in winter wheat field

Purpose

Although micronutrients are essential to higher plants, it remains unclear whether the projected future climate change would affect their availability to plants. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of carbon dioxide (CO₂) enrichment and warming on soil micronutrient availability and plant uptake.

Materials and methods

This study was conducted in an open field experiment with CO₂ enrichment and plant canopy warming. Four treatments were included: (1) free-air CO₂ enrichment up to 500 ppm (CE); (2) canopy warming by plus 2 °C (WA); (3) CO₂ enrichment combined with canopy warming (CW), and (4) ambient condition as control. Plant and soil samples were collected, respectively, at the jointing, heading, and ripening stage over the whole wheat growing season in 2014. The micronutrient concentrations both in soil and plant were both analyzed, and the accumulated uptake by wheat harvest was assessed.

Results and discussion

Both CO₂ enrichment and warming increased the availability of most soil micronutrients. The availability of Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn under CO₂ enrichment increased by 47.7, 22.5, 59.8, and 114.1 %, respectively. Warming increased the availability of Fe, Cu, and Zn by 60.4, 23.8, and 15.3 %, respectively. The plant growth induced changes in soil pH and in soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) accounted to the changes in soil micronutrient availability. The enrichment of CO₂ and warming had significant effects on micronutrient uptake by wheat. The enrichment of CO₂ decreased the concentration of Fe by 9.3 %, while it increased the concentrations of Mn and Zn by 18.9 and 8.1 % in plant shoot, respectively. Warming increased the concentration of Fe and Cu by 24.3 and 7.6 % in plant shoot, respectively. The increase in soil micronutrient availability did not always lead to the increase in micronutrient uptake. The element types and crop growth stage affected the uptake of micronutrients by wheat under CO₂ enrichment and warming. Additionally, CO₂ enrichment decreased the translocation of Fe and Zn by 25.3 and 10.0 %, respectively, while warming increased the translocation of Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn across stages.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrated that CO₂ enrichment and warming would improve availability of some micronutrients and their uptake by wheat. However, it is still unclear whether a net removal of micronutrient through crop straw harvest would occur under CO₂ enrichment and warming.

     

EFFECTS OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND PHOSPHORUS SUPPLY ON POTATO DRY MATTER ALLOCATION AND CANOPY MORPHOLOGY

□ Data on combined effects of elevated carbon dioxide concentration (CO₂) and phosphorus fertilization (P) on potato are scarce. Growth chamber studies (E1 and E2) that used three P and two CO₂ levels were conducted. Leaf, stem, tuber, and stolon dry matter increased with P. Lateral-stem production was sensitive to P with a minimum 2.5-fold increase in mass. Leaf length increased an average 20.2% in E1 and 38.2% in E2 and leaf area increased an average 336% in E1 and 470% in E2 across CO₂ levels. Tuber dry mass increased 22% in E1 and 38.2% in E2 in response to elevated CO₂ and total dry mass by 14.1 and 15.4%. Tissue P contents increased with P but were unaffected by CO₂. Effects of P on canopy branching were associated with plant N status. The studies suggest elevated CO₂ levels are unlikely to alter potato P requirements on a unit mass basis.     

Earthworm (Aporrectodea trapezoides)–mycorrhiza (Glomus intraradices) interaction and nitrogen and phosphorus uptake by maize

The interactive impacts of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF, Glomus intraradices) and earthworms (Aporrectodea trapezoides) on maize (Zea mays L.) growth and nutrient uptake were studied under near natural conditions with pots buried in the soil of a maize field. Treatments included maize plants inoculated vs. not inoculated with AMF, treated or not treated with earthworms, at low (25 mg kg⁻¹) or high (175 mg kg⁻¹) P fertilization rate. Wheat straw was added as feed for earthworms. Root colonization, mycorrhiza structure, plant biomass and N and P contents of shoots and roots, soil available P and NO₃⁻–N concentrations, and soil microbial biomass C and N were measured at harvest. Results indicated that mycorrhizal colonization increased markedly in maize inoculated with AMF especially at low P rate, which was further enhanced by the addition of earthworms. AMF and earthworms interactively increased maize shoot and root biomass as well as N and P uptake but decreased soil NO₃⁻–N and available P concentrations at harvest. Earthworm and AMF interaction also increased soil microbial biomass C, which probably improved root N and P contents and indirectly increased the shoot N and P uptake. At low P rate, soil N mobilization by earthworms might have reduced potential N competition by arbuscular mycorrhizal hyphae, resulting in greater plant shoot and root biomass. Earthworms and AMF interactively enhanced soil N and P availability, leading to greater nutrient uptake and plant growth.     

Elevated CO2 differentially alters belowground plant and soil microbial community structure in reed canary grass-invaded experimental wetlands

Several recent studies have indicated that an enriched atmosphere of carbon dioxide (CO₂) could exacerbate the intensity of plant invasions within natural ecosystems, but little is known of how rising CO₂ impacts the belowground characteristics of these invaded systems. In this study, we examined the effects of elevated CO₂ and nitrogen (N) inputs on plant and soil microbial community characteristics of plant communities invaded by reed canary grass, Phalaris arundinacea L. We grew the invasive grass under two levels of invasion: the invader was either dominant (high invasion) at >90% plant cover or sub-dominant (low invasion) at <50% plant cover. Experimental wetland communities were grown for four months in greenhouses that received either 600 or 365 μl l⁻¹ (ambient) CO₂. Within each of three replicate rooms per CO₂ treatment, the plant communities were grown under high (30 mg l⁻¹) or low (5 mg l⁻¹) N. In contrast to what is often predicted under N limitation, we found that elevated CO₂ increased native graminoid biomass at low N, but not at high N. The aboveground biomass of reed canary grass did not respond to elevated CO₂, despite it being a fast-growing C3 species. Although elevated CO₂ had no impact on the plant biomass of heavily invaded communities, the relative abundance of several soil microbial indicators increased. In contrast, the moderately invaded plant communities displayed increased total root biomass under elevated CO_2, while little impact occurred on the relative abundance of soil microbial indicators. Principal components analysis indicated that overall soil microbial community structure was distinct by CO₂ level for the varying N and invasion treatments. This study demonstrates that even when elevated CO₂ does not have visible effects on aboveground plant biomass, it can have large impacts belowground.     

Effects of elevated CO2 concentration on rhizodeposition from Lolium perenne grown on soil exposed to 9 years of CO2 enrichment

The effects of enriched CO₂ atmosphere on partitioning of recently assimilated carbon were investigated in a plant-soil-microorganism system in which Lolium perenne seedlings were planted into cores inserted into the resident soil within a sward that had been treated with elevated CO₂ for 9 consecutive years, under two N fertilisation levels (Swiss FACE experiment). The planted cores were excavated from the ambient (35 Pa pCO₂) and enriched (60 Pa pCO₂) rings at two dates, in spring and autumn, during the growing season. The cores were brought back to the laboratory for ¹⁴C labelling of shoots in order to trace the transfer of recently assimilated C both within the plant and to the soil and microbial biomass. At the spring sampling, high N supply stimulated shoot and total dry matter production. Consistently, high N enhanced the allocation of recently fixed C to shoots, and reduced it to belowground compartments. Elevated CO₂ had no consequences for DM or the pattern of C allocation. At the autumn sampling, at high N plot, yield of L. perenne was stimulated by elevated CO₂. Consistently, ¹⁴C was preferentially allocated aboveground and, consequently belowground recent C allocation was depressed and rhizodeposition reduced. At both experimental periods, total soil C content was similar in all treatments, providing no evidence for soil carbon sequestration in the Swiss Free Air CO₂ Enrichment experiment (FACE) after 9 years of enrichment. Recently assimilated C and soil C were mineralised faster in soils from enriched rings, suggesting a CO₂-induced shift in the microbial biomass characteristics (structure, diversity, activity) and/or in the quality of the root-released organic compounds.     

Accumulation and partitioning of biomass and soluble carbohydrates in maize seedlings as affected by source of nitrogen,nitrogen concentration,and cultivar 1

Abstract

Seedlings of four maize hybrids were grown hydroponically to investigate the impact of different N sources (Ca(NO₃)₂, (NH₄)₂SO₄ and a 1:1 mixture of both) on (i) production and partitioning of root and shoot dry matter, (ii) concentration of soluble carbohydrates in roots and shoots and their partitioning to these plant parts, (iii) concentration of starch in the shoot, and (iv) N uptake. During the main phase of the experiments (duration 14d), the plants were grown in a greenhouse at 25/22°C day/night temperatures and a photoperiod of 16h. Nitrogen was supplied at three concentrations (2.8, 28, and 280 ppm). The root‐zone pH was 6.5. Under the lowest N supply, the N sources produced similar root and shoot dry matters. At the highest N level (280 ppm), NO₃‐fed plants were superior. In contrast, the mixture of NH₄ and NO₃ ^? was optimum at 28 ppm. More or less pronounced N form by N concentration interactions were also found in the concentration and distribution of soluble carbohydrates and in all remaing traits. There were almost statistically significant cultivar by N form interactions in shoot dry matter (P = 0.07) and total dry matter (P = 0.06), indicating the existence of considerable genotypic variation in sensivity to NH₄‐N.