Free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) enhances biomass production in a short-rotation poplar plantation

This paper investigates the possible contribution of Short Rotation Cultures (SRC) to carbon sequestration in both current and elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations ([CO2]). A dense poplar plantation (1 x 1 m) was exposed to a [CO2] of 550 ppm in Central Italy using the free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) technique. Three species of Populus were examined, namely P. alba L., P. nigra L. and P. x euramericana Dode (Guinier). Aboveground woody biomass of trees exposed to elevated [CO2] for three growing seasons increased by 15 to 27%, depending on species. As a result, light-use efficiency increased. Aboveground biomass allocation was unaffected, and belowground biomass also increased under elevated [CO2] conditions, by 22 to 38%. Populus nigra, with total biomass equal to 62.02 and 72.03 Mg ha-1 in ambient and elevated [CO2], respectively, was the most productive species, although its productivity was stimulated least by atmospheric CO2 enrichment. There was greater depletion of inorganic nitrogen from the soil after three growing seasons in elevated [CO2], but no effect of [CO2] on stem wood density, which differed significantly only among species.     

Elevated CO2 concentration, fertilization and their interaction: growth stimulation in a short-rotation poplar coppice (EUROFACE)

We investigated the individual and combined effects of elevated CO2 concentration and fertilization on aboveground growth of three poplar species (Populus alba L. Clone 2AS-11, P. nigra L. Clone Jean Pourtet and P. x euramericana Clone I-214) growing in a short-rotation coppice culture for two growing seasons after coppicing. Free-air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) stimulated the number of shoots per stool, leaf area index measured with a fish-eye-type plant canopy analyzer (LAIoptical), and annual leaf production, but did not affect dominant shoot height or canopy productivity index. Comparison of LAIoptical with LAI estimates from litter collections and from allometric relationships showed considerable differences. The increase in biomass in response to FACE was caused by an initial stimulation of absolute and relative growth rates, which disappeared after the first growing season following coppicing. An ontogenetic decline in growth in the FACE treatment, together with strong competition inside the dense plantation, may have caused this decrease. Fertilization did not influence aboveground growth, although some FACE responses were more pronounced in fertilized trees. A species effect was observed for most parameters.     

Water-use efficiency of a poplar plantation in Northern China

The water-use efficiency (WUE) of an ecosystem—defined as the gross ecosystem production (GEP) divided by the evapotranspiration (ET)—is an important index for understanding the coupling of water and carbon and quantifying water–carbon trade-offs in forests. An open-path eddy covariance technique and a microclimate measurement system were deployed to investigate the WUE of a poplar plantation ecosystem in the Daxing District of Beijing, China, during the growing seasons in 2006, 2007, and 2008. We found that WUE values changed diurnally, peaking in early morning and showing a minimum between 2 pm and 3 pm. This pattern was regulated by photosynthetically active radiation, saturated vapor pressure deficit, and stomatal opening and closure. WUE had inter-daily variations but no substantial seasonal variation. The WUE decreased with increasing soil water content due to the higher sensitivity of ET than GEP to increased soil moisture. Under moist soil conditions (i.e., relative extractable water content >0.4), GEP was stable and WUE was generally low. These results suggest that the poplar plantation does not effectively use the available soil water for carbon uptake, and that soil moisture is lost to the atmosphere through ET.     

Net carbon storage in a poplar plantation (POPFACE) after three years of free-air CO2 enrichment

A high-density plantation of three genotypes of Populus was exposed to an elevated concentration of carbon dioxide ([CO(2)]; 550 micromol mol(-1)) from planting through canopy closure using a free-air CO(2) enrichment (FACE) technique. The FACE treatment stimulated gross primary productivity by 22 and 11% in the second and third years, respectively. Partitioning of extra carbon (C) among C pools of different turnover rates is of critical interest; thus, we calculated net ecosystem productivity (NEP) to determine whether elevated atmospheric [CO(2)] will enhance net plantation C storage capacity. Free-air CO(2) enrichment increased net primary productivity (NPP) of all genotypes by 21% in the second year and by 26% in the third year, mainly because of an increase in the size of C pools with relatively slow turnover rates (i.e., wood). In all genotypes in the FACE treatment, more new soil C was added to the total soil C pool compared with the control treatment. However, more old soil C loss was observed in the FACE treatment compared with the control treatment, possibly due to a priming effect from newly incorporated root litter. FACE did not significantly increase NEP, probably as a result of this priming effect.     

Temporal variation and high-resolution spatial heterogeneity in soil CO2 efflux in a short-rotation tree plantation

Soil CO2 efflux (SR) is the second largest carbon flux on earth. We investigated the driving factors of the seasonal change and short-distance spatial variation in SR in a short-rotation plantation of willow (Salix viminalis Orm). Total annual SR ranged from 723 to 1149 g Cm(-2) year(-1). Both an exponential and a logistic model were fitted to the data, with soil temperature at a depth of 5 cm as the independent variable. The R2 values for individual sampling points ranged from 0.83 to 0.95 and from 0.85 to 0.93 for the exponential and logistic models, respectively, indicating that soil temperature largely determined the seasonal variation in SR. Modeled soil SR at 10 degrees C ranged from 1.22 to 1.95 micromol m(-2) s(-1), whereas modeled annual Q(10) values were between 3.31 and 6.13. These high Q(10) values were attributed to the absence of drought during the study in 2005. When the coefficients of the general SR models were replaced by linear dependencies on soil and vegetation-related characteristics, the resulting spatially explicit exponential and logistic SR models explained 85 and 86%, respectively, of the variability within the dataset. The analysis indicated that soil carbon concentration, leaf area index, soil pH and root biomass caused differences in SR at the short distances considered in this study. However, incorporating information on variables considered to account for spatial variability in the model did not result in a higher R2 compared with a simple temperature function. When the general SR models were applied to independent datasets from the same plantation, the logistic model provided a better fit than the exponential model when drought occurred. Drought greatly reduced the annual Q(10) values of SR.     

Effect of elevated ambient CO2 concentration on water use efficiency ofPinus sylvestriformis

Pinus sylvestriformis is an important species as an indicator of global climate changes in Changbai Mountain, China. The water use efficiency (WUE) of this species (11-year old) was studied on response to elevated CO₂ concentration at 500±100 μL·L⁻¹ by directly injecting CO₂ into the canopy under natural condition in 1998–1999. The results showed that the elevated CO₂ concentration reduced averagely stomatal opening, stomatal conductance and stomatal density to 78%, 80% and 87% respectively, as compared to normal ambient. The elevated CO₂ reduced the transpiration and enhances the water use efficiency (WUE) of plant. The project was supported by Chinese Academy of Sciences Responsible editor: Chai Ruihai     

Effect of elevated ambient CO2 concentration on water use efficiency of Pinus sylvestriformis

IntroductionEvidencefrommanystudiesshowsthattheconcentrationofatmosphericCO,isdramaticallyraisingandadoubIingofthepresentCO,concentrationwouIdoccurduringthelasthaIfofthenextcentury.Therisingofatmospheric.CO,concentrationisstrongIycorrelatedwiththeincreaseinglobaIconsumptionoffossiIfueIsandaIsoaffectedsignificantIybytheclearingofforest(Bazzaz199o).PfantsgrowingatvariousambientconcentrationofCo,showgreatdifferences,includingtheprocessesofgrowthandphysiology.Photosynthesisandtran-spiration…     

华北平原人工杨树林的土壤呼吸特征

对华北徒骇河流域河岸林与非河岸林两种生境下杨树林的土壤呼吸速率进行监测分析,结果表明:两种生境条件下,杨树人工林土壤呼吸速率在8∶00—20∶00的变化趋势呈单峰曲线,具有明显白天高夜间低的规律,在12∶00—16∶00期间达到峰值。河岸林呼吸速率明显高于非河岸林。两种生境下,土壤呼吸与大气湿度呈负相关的关系,两者之间的相关系数分别为-0.4713、-0.8329,而土壤呼吸与大气温度的变化趋势大致相似,都是单峰趋势,两者之间的相关系数分别为0.8066、0.7257。回归分析表明,春季人工杨树林的土壤呼吸主要受大气温度的影响。     

Interaction of nutrient limitation and elevated CO2 concentration on carbon assimilation of a tropical tree seedling (Cedrela odorata)

Carbon assimilation by Cedrela odorata L. (Meliaceae) seedlings was investigated in ambient and elevated CO2 concentrations ([CO2]) for 119 days, using small fumigation chambers. A solution containing macro- and micronutrients was supplied at two rates. The 5% rate (high rate) was designed to avoid nutrient limitation and allow a maximum rate of growth. The 1% rate (low rate) allowed examination of the effect of the nutrient limitation-elevated CO2 interaction on carbon assimilation. Root growth was stimulated by 23% in elevated [CO2] at a high rate of nutrient supply, but this did not lead to a change in the root:shoot ratio. Total biomass did not change at either rate of nutrient supply, despite an increase in relative growth rate at the low nutrient supply rate. Net assimilation rates and relative growth rates were stimulated by the high rate of nutrient addition, irrespective of [CO2]. We used a biochemical model of photosynthesis to investigate assimilation at the leaf level. Maximum rate of electron transport (Jmax) and maximum velocity of carboxylation (Vcmax) did not differ significantly with CO2 treatment, but showed a substantial reduction at the low rate of nutrient supply. Across both CO2 treatments, mean Jmax for seedlings grown at a high rate of nutrient supply was 75 micromol m(-2) s(-1) and mean Vcmax was 27 micromol m(-2) s(-1). The corresponding mean values for seedlings grown at a low rate of nutrient supply were 36 micromol m(-2) s(-1) and 15 micromol m(-2) s(-1), respectively. Concentrations of leaf nitrogen, on a mass basis, were significantly decreased by the low nutrient supply rate, in proportion to the observed decrease in photosynthetic parameters. Chlorophyll and carbohydrate concentrations of leaves were unaffected by growth [CO2]. Because there was no net increase in growth in response to elevated [CO2], despite increased assimilation of carbon at the leaf level, we hypothesize that the rate of respiration of non-photosynthetic organs was increased.     

Leaf photosynthetic characteristics of beech (Fagus sylvatica) saplings during three years of exposure to elevated CO(2) concentration

Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) seedlings were cultivated from seeds sown in pots or directly in the ground in outdoor chambers that were transparent to solar radiation, and provided either ambient air or CO(2)-enriched air (ambient + 350 &mgr;mol mol(-1)). The rooting volume was high in all experiments. In the short-term experiment, potted plants were assigned to a factorial CO(2) x nutrient treatment (optimal nutrient supply and severe nutrient shortage) for 1 year. In the long-term experiment, plants were grown directly in the ground and received an optimal supply of water and nutrients in both CO(2) treatments for 3 years. Nutrient stress caused carboxylation capacity (V(m)) to decrease in the potted seedlings exposed to CO(2)-enriched air during their first growing season. In the long-term experiment with optimal nutrient supply, CO(2)-enriched air did not affect V(m), but caused an upward acclimation of maximum electron transport rate (J(m)). Consequently, there was a 14% increase in the J(m)/V(m) ratio, indicating nitrogen reallocation to maintain an equilibrium between RuBP consumption and RuBP regeneration. Both V(m) and J(m) decreased during the growing season in both CO(2) treatments. Although upward acclimation of J(m) was no longer apparent at the end of the third growing season, plants in CO(2)-enriched air maintained a higher J(m)/V(m) ratio than plants in ambient air, indicating that photosynthetic acclimation always occurred. Second flush leaves appeared during each growing season. When expressed on the basis of foliar nitrogen concentration, their photosynthetic characteristics (V(m) and J(m)) were enhanced compared with other leaves. Because the number of second flush leaves was also increased in the elevated CO(2) treatment, this response should be taken into account when modeling the effects of elevated CO(2) concentration on canopy photosynthesis. Stomatal conductance decreased in response to atmospheric CO(2) enrichment; however, the stomatal response to irradiance followed a single relationship based on two stomatal conductance models.     

Effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration on the nutrient uptake characteristics of Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi)

We evaluated the response of Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi Sieb. & Zucc.) to elevated atmospheric CO(2) concentration ([CO(2)]) (689 +/- 75 ppm in 2002 and 697 +/- 90 ppm in 2003) over 2 years in a field experiment with open-top chambers. Root activity was assessed as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium uptake rates estimated from successive measurements of absorbed amounts. Dry matter production of whole plants was unaffected by elevated [CO(2)] in the first year of treatment, but increased significantly in response to elevated [CO(2)] in the second year. In contrast, elevated [CO(2)] increased the root to shoot ratio and fine root dry mass in the first year, but not in the second year. Elevated [CO(2)] had no effect on tissue N, P and K concentrations. Uptake rates of N, P and K correlated with whole-plant relative growth rates, but were unaffected by growth [CO(2)], as was ectomycorrhizal colonization, a factor assumed to be important for nutrient uptake in trees. We conclude that improved growth of Larix kaempferi in response to elevated [CO(2)] is accompanied by increased root biomass, but not by increased root activity.     

Canopy position affects photosynthetic adjustments to long-term elevated CO2 concentration (FACE) in aging needles in a mature Pinus taeda forest

Few studies have examined the effects of elevated CO2 concentration ([CO2]) on the physiology of intact forest canopies, despite the need to understand how leaf-level responses can be aggregated to assess effects on whole-canopy functioning. We examined the long-term effects of elevated [CO2] (ambient + 200 ppm CO2) on two age classes of needles in the upper and lower canopy of Pinus taeda L. during the second through sixth year of exposure to elevated [CO2] in free-air (free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE)) in North Carolina, USA. Strong photosynthetic enhancement in response to elevated [CO2] (e.g., +60% across age classes and canopy locations) was observed across the years. This stimulation was 33% greater for current-year needles than for 1-year-old needles in the fifth and sixth years of treatment. Although photosynthetic stimulation in response to elevated [CO2] was maintained through the sixth year of exposure, we found evidence of concurrent down-regulation of Rubisco and electron transport capacity in the upper-canopy sunlit leaves. The lower canopy showed no evidence of down-regulation. The upper canopy down-regulated carboxylation capacity (Vcmax) and electron transport capacity (Jmax) by about 17-20% in 1-year-old needles; however, this response was significant across sampling years only for Jmax in 1-year-old needles (P < 0.02). A reduction in leaf photosynthetic capacity in aging conifer needles at the canopy top could have important consequences for canopy carbon balance and global carbon sinks because 1-year-old sunlit needles contribute a major proportion of the annual carbon balance of these conifers. Our finding of a significant interaction between canopy position and CO2 treatment on the biochemical capacity for CO2 assimilation suggests that it is important to take canopy position and needle aging into account because morphologically and physiologically distinct leaves could respond differently to elevated [CO2].     

Growth response of three plantation species of the tropics exposed to elevated CO2 levels

The response of forest trees, the largest carbon sinks on the earth, to continuing rise in atmospheric carbon levels is unknown. Reports state that increasing levels of atmospheric CO₂ will stimulate photosynthesis and productivity in most ecosystems. However, the duration and magnitude of this stimulation, particularly in the tropics, remains a question. To investigate the effects of CO₂ fertilization on plant growth, seedlings of three common plantation species, Casuarina equisetifolia, Ailanthus excelsa and Tectona grandis were grown in closed chambers enriched with CO₂. After 180 days of treatment, morphological traits of seedling height, biomass of root and shoot and root-shoot allometric co-efficient were measured. The activity of carbonic anhydrase and contents of chlorophylls, total carbohydrates and soluble proteins were determined. In Tectona grandis, significant effects of CO₂ supply were found on chlorophylls, root-shoot allometric ratio and seedling quality index. Ailanthus excelsa showed significant effect on only the shoot characteristics on exposure to elevated CO₂ but the root characteristics and concentrations of chlorophylls were not significantly different. Casuarina equisetifolia also showed significant effects on exposure to elevated CO₂ in terms of shoot characteristics and concentrations of chlorophylls. Total sugars, the major photosynthates, did not show any significant variation to elevated CO₂ in any of the three species. Carbonic anhydrase, the key enzyme responsible for transfer of CO₂ into the tissues significantly increased in all three species. Overall, all the variables responded to elevated CO₂, reflecting the positive effects of one parameter of climate change conditions on seedling quality. A positive response of these three plantation species to elevated CO₂ content is a good indication for their future existence in potentially changed climatic conditions.     

Effects of elevated CO(2) concentration on leaf characteristics and photosynthetic capacity of beech (Fagus sylvatica) during the growing season

Two-year-old beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) saplings were planted directly in the ground at high density (100 per m(2)), in an experimental design that realistically mimicked field conditions, and grown for two years in air containing CO(2) at either ambient or an elevated (ambient + 350 ppm) concentration. Plant dry mass and leaf area were increased by a two-year exposure to elevated CO(2). The saplings produced physiologically distinct types of sun leaves associated with the first and second growth flushes. Leaves of the second flush had a higher leaf mass per unit area and less chlorophyll per unit area, per unit dry mass and per unit nitrogen than leaves of the first flush. Chlorophyll content expressed per unit nitrogen decreased over time in plants grown in elevated CO(2), which suggests that, in elevated CO(2), less nitrogen was invested in machinery of the photosynthetic light reactions. In early summer, the photosynthetic capacity measured at saturating irradiance and CO(2) was slightly but not significantly higher in saplings grown in elevated CO(2) than in saplings grown in ambient CO(2). However, a decrease in photosynthetic capacity was observed after July in leaves of saplings grown in CO(2)-enriched air. The results demonstrate that photosynthetic acclimation to elevated CO(2) can occur in field-grown saplings in late summer, at the time of growth cessation.     

Transpiration of a hybrid poplar plantation in Saxony (Germany) in response to climate and soil conditions

The aim of this study was to investigate transpiration and its main driving factors on the example of a hybrid poplar plantation with the clone Populus maximowiczii × P. nigra, cv. Max 1 on a site in the hilly loess region of Saxony (Germany). Transpiration was measured using sap flow techniques during the 2007 and 2008 growing season. At the same time, throughfall, soil moisture dynamics and soil physical properties were also measured. Total transpiration rates amounted to 486 mm and 463 mm, respectively, during the 2 years. Maximum daily transpiration rates reached 6.7 mm/day, while an average of 2.2 mm/day for the entire growing season was recorded. The main controlling factors for stand transpiration included the evaporative demand, water availability and soil temperature. The information was implemented into a simple empirical model for the prediction of transpiration. It can be concluded that large-scale establishment of poplar plantations will result in a distinct reduction in groundwater recharge. On the other hand, surface run-off and soil erosion may decrease. Due to limited water availability in the late growing season, the growth potential of the tested clone cannot fully be exploited at many sites in Germany.     

辽宁省杨树栽培现状及发展趋势

阐述了辽宁省杨树栽培历史和现状，指出了杨树栽培中存在的问题，并详细分析了存在问题的原因，针对存在的问题及杨树栽培发展趋势，对我省杨树栽培发展提出了建议；①合理布局，科学规划；②采用积极扶持政策，减轻税费，增加资金投入；③加强科学研究，提高科技成果转化率；④加速低产林改造步伐。     

Effects of elevated CO2 concentration on the respiratory behavior of the branches of field-grown hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa)

The effects of elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentrations on the nighttime respiration were examined for two sample branches of a hinoki cypress tree (Chamaecyparis obtusa) growing in the field with an open gas exchange system for a one-year period from July 1994 to June 1995. The branches were of a similar size and located at a similar position within the crown. One branch was subjected to an elevated CO₂ concentration of 800 μmol mol⁻¹ and the other was subjected to ambient air which had a CO₂ concentration of about 370 μmol mol⁻¹. Nighttime respiration rate was higher in elevated CO₂ level than in ambient CO₂ level. The relationship between nighttime respiration and the corresponding nighttime air temperature was fitted by the exponential function in every month of the year. The segregation of regression lines between the two CO₂ treatments increased gradually as the seasons progressed during the treatment period. TheQ ₁₀ values for nighttime respiration were lower in elevated CO₂ (1.9 ≤Q ₁₀ ≤ 3.7) than in ambient CO₂ (2.4 ≤Q ₁₀ ≤ 4.5) in every month of the year. TheQ ₁₀ was inversely related to the monthly mean nighttime air temperature in both elevated and ambient CO₂. The estimated daily nighttime respiration rate under both CO₂ treatments had a similar seasonal pattern, which almost synchronized with the temperature change. The respiration ratio of elevated CO₂ to ambient CO₂ increased gradually from 1.1 to 1.6 until the end of the experiment. Our results indicate that the CO₂ level and the temperature have a strong interactive effect on respiration and suggest that a potential increase in respiration of branches will occur when ambient CO₂ increases.     

Growth dynamics and biomass accumulation of 8-year-old hybrid poplar clones in a short-rotation plantation on a clayey-sandy mining substrate with respect to plant nutrition and water budget

In 1995 a short-rotation plantation (2.5 ha) was established in the mining region Welzow-Süd in Brandenburg, Germany, on a clayey-sandy, lignite- and pyrite-free substrate in order to study the biomass potentials of fast-growing tree species (hybrid poplar clones). In this study, special emphasis was placed on yield aspects as well as on the interaction between soil and plants, especially with regard to the plant nutrition and soil–water relationships. So far, the results indicate that the cultivation of hybrid poplar clones in a short-rotation plantation is an adequate tool for establishing alternative land-use systems in the post-mining landscape as a potential source of biomass energy. Aboveground biomass production ranged from 24–49 t dry matter (DM) per hectare at age 8. In particular during this period of investigation, nitrogen nutrition of the clones decreased to below a threshold of 20 mg g^–1 DM in the year 2002. Investigations of the water budget of low- and high-yielding clones indicated that differences in the biomass accumulation seemed to be accompanied by different water-use efficiencies.     

Isotopic carbon discrimination and leaf nitrogen content of Erica arborea L. along a CO(2) concentration gradient in a CO(2) spring in Italy

We studied a Mediterranean species (Erica arborea L.) growing in a CO(2) spring in Italy that was naturally exposed for generations to a gradient of atmospheric CO(2) concentrations. The CO(2) concentration gradient to which different individual plants were exposed was determined by an indirect method based on radioisotope analysis. The stable carbon isotope ratio of sampled leaves was determined by mass spectrometry, and isotopic discrimination was then calculated. Leaf nitrogen, specific leaf area, total soil nitrogen, soil organic matter content and soil pH were also measured. In one group of plants, grown on a homogeneous soil and exposed to moderate CO(2) enrichment, isotopic discrimination was significantly reduced in response to increasing CO(2) concentrations, whereas the intercellular CO(2) concentration and leaf nitrogen content were almost unaffected. In a second group of plants, grown along a gradient of CO(2) concentration and soil nitrogen content, leaf nitrogen content was reduced when nitrogen availability was limiting. However, when soil nitrogen was available in excess, even very high CO(2) concentrations did not result in increased discrimination or reduced leaf nitrogen content in the long term. The results are discussed with respect to current theories about the long-term CO(2) response of plants based on several years of experimentation with elevated atmospheric CO(2) concentrations under controlled conditions.     

Effect of elevated CO2 concentration on growth course of tree seed-lings in Changbai Mountain

One-year-old seedlings of Pinus koraiensis, Pinus sylvestriformis, Phellodendron amurense were grown in open-top chambers (OTCs) with 700 and 500 mmol/mol CO2 concentrations, control chamber and on open site (ambient CO2, about 350 mmol/mol CO2) respectively at the Open Research Station of Changbai Mountain Forest Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the growth course responses of three species to elevated CO2 and temperature during one growing season was studied from May to Oct. 1999. The results showed that increase in CO2 concentration enhanced the growth of seedlings and the effect of 700 mmol/mol CO2 was more remarkable than 500 mmol/mol CO2 on seedling growth. Under the condition of doubly elevated CO2 concentration, the biomass increased by 38% in average for coniferous seedlings and 60% for broad-leaved seedlings. With continuous treatment of high CO2 concentration, the monthly-accumulated biomass of shade-tolerant Pinus koraiensis seedlings was bigger in July than in August and September, while those of Pinus sylvestriformis and Phellodendron amurense seedlings showed an increase in July and August, or did not decrese until September. During the hot August, high CO2 concentration enhanced the growth of Pinus koraiensis seedlings by increasing temperature, but it did not show dominance in other two species.