Stomatal Responses of Douglas-Fir Seedlings to Elevated Carbon Dioxide and Temperature During the Third and Fourth Years of Exposure

Two major components of climate change, increasing atmospheric [CO2] and increasing temperature, may substantially alter the effects of water availability to plants through effects on the rate of water loss from leaves. We examined the interactive effects of elevated [CO2] and temperature on seasonal patterns of stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration (E) and instantaneous transpiration efficiency (ITE) in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) seedlings. Seedlings were grown in sunlit chambers at either ambient CO2 (AC) or ambient + 180 µmol mol-1 CO2 (EC), and at ambient temperature (AT) or ambient + 3.5° C (ET) in a full-factorial design. Needle gas exchange at the target growth conditions was measured approximately monthly over 21 months. Across the study period and across temperature treatments, growth in elevated [CO2] decreased E by an average of 12% and increased ITE by an average of 46%. The absolute reduction of E associated with elevated [CO2] significantly increased with seasonal increases in the needle-to-air vapour pressure deficit (D). Across CO2 treatments, growth in elevated temperature increased E an average of 37%, and did not affect ITE. Combined, growth in elevated [CO2] and elevated temperature increased E an average of 19% compared with the ACAT treatment. The CO2 supply and growth temperature did not significantly affect stomatal sensitivity to D or the relationship between gs and net photosynthetic rates. This study suggests that elevated [CO2] may not completely ameliorate the effect of elevated temperature on E, and that climate change may substantially alter needle-level water loss and water use efficiency of Douglas-fir seedlings

Foliar nitrogen concentrations and natural abundance of ¹⁵N suggest nitrogen allocation patterns of Douglas-fir and mycorrhizal fungi during development in elevated carbon dioxide concentration and temperature

seudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco (Douglas-fir) seedlings were grown in a 2 × 2 factorial design in enclosed mesocosms at ambient temperature or 3.5 °C above ambient, and at ambient CO2 concentration ([CO2]) or 179 ppm above ambient. Two additional mesocosms were maintained as open controls. We measured the extent of mycorrhizal infection, foliar nitrogen (N) concentrations on both a weight basis (%N) and area basis (Narea), and foliar δ15N signatures (15N/14N ratios) from summer 1993 through summer 1997. Mycorrhizal fungi had colonized nearly all root tips across all treatments by spring 1994. Elevated [CO2] lowered foliar %N but did not affect Narea, whereas elevated temperature increased both foliar %N and Narea. Foliar δ15N was initially –1‰ and dropped by the final harvest to between –4 and –5‰ in the enclosed mesocosms, probably because of transfer of isotopically depleted N from mycorrhizal fungi. Based on the similarity in foliar δ15N among treatments, we conclude that mycorrhizal fungi had similar N allocation patterns across CO2 and temperature treatments. We combined isotopic and Narea data for 1993–94 to calculate fluxes of N for second- and third-year needles. Yearly N influxes were higher in second-year needles than in third-year needles (about 160 and 50% of initial leaf N, respectively), indicating greater sink strength in the younger needles. Influxes of N in second-year needles increased in response to elevated temperature, suggesting increased N supply from soil relative to plant N demands. In the elevated temperature treatments, N effluxes from third-year needles were higher in seedlings in elevated [CO2] than in ambient [CO2], probably because of increased N allocation below ground. We conclude that N allocation patterns shifted in response to the elevated temperature and [CO2] treatments in the seedlings but not in their fungal symbionts

Relative Sensitivity of Avocado Varieties to Photochemical Smog (Ozone) and Sulfur Dioxide

ABSTRACT A preliminary study was conducted to gain general information as to the sensitivity of avocado varieties (Persea americana L.) to the primary component of smog, ozone (O 3 ), and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ). Varieties on both seedling 'G6' and clonal 'Borchard' rootstocks were exposed to 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, or 0.4 ppm O 3 for eight hours; or 0, 0.25, 0.5, or 1.0 ppm SO 2 for 24 hours; for two days. 'Hass', 'Whitsell', and 'Gwen' were generally more sensitive than Fuerte' and 'G6'. Mexican-race cultivars tended to be less sensitive to O 3 than Guatemalan-race cultivars. Larger, older trees on 'G6' rootstocks had less injury than smaller, younger trees on 'Borchard' rootstocks. A minimum of 0.2 ppm O 3 or 0.5 ppm SO 2 was required for acute leaf injury to avocados. Ozone injury was characterized as a brown flecking on upper leaf surfaces; and SO 2 injury as large areas of brown, dead tissue through both upper and lower leaf surfaces

Seasonal Patterns of Photosynthesis in Douglas Fir Seedlings During the Third and Fourth Year of Exposure to Elevated CO2 and Temperature

The interactive effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 and temperature on seasonal patterns of photosynthesis in Douglas fir (Psuedotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) seedlings were examined. Seedlings were grown in sunlit chambers controlled to track either ambient (~400 p.p.m.) CO2 or ambient +200 p.p.m. CO2, and either ambient temperature or ambient +4 °C. Light-saturated net photosynthetic rates were measured approximately monthly over a 21 month period. Elevated CO2 increased net photosynthetic rates by an average of 21% across temperature treatments during both the 1996 hydrologic year, the third year of exposure, and the 1997 hydrologic year. Elevated mean annual temperature increased net photosynthetic rates by an average of 33% across CO2 treatments during both years. Seasonal temperature changes also affected net photosynthetic rates. Across treatments, net photosynthetic rates were highest in the spring and autumn, and lowest in July, August and December–January. Seasonal increases in temperature were not correlated with increases in the relative photosynthetic response to elevated CO2. Seasonal shifts in the photosynthetic temperature optimum reduced temperature effects on the relative response to elevated CO2. These results suggest that the effects of elevated CO2 on net photosynthetic rates in Douglas fir are largely independent of temperature