Soil and plant water relations determine photosynthetic responses of C3 and C4 grasses in a semi-arid ecosystem under elevated CO2

Annals of Botany
Daniel R LeCainJim A Nelson

Abstract

To model the effect of increasing atmospheric CO2 on semi-arid grasslands, the gas exchange responses of leaves to seasonal changes in soil water, and how they are modified by CO2, must be understood for C3 and C4 species that grow in the same area. In this study, open-top chambers were used to investigate the photosynthetic and stomatal responses of Pascopyrum smithii (C3) and Bouteloua gracilis (C4) grown at 360 (ambient CO2) and 720 micro mol mol-1 CO2 (elevated CO2) in a semi-arid shortgrass steppe. Assimilation rate (A) and stomatal conductance (gs) at the treatment CO2 concentrations and at a range of intercellular CO2 concentrations and leaf water potentials (psileaf) were measured over 4 years with variable soil water content caused by season and CO2 treatment. Carboxylation efficiency of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Vc,max), and ribulose bisphosphate regeneration capacity (Jmax) were reduced in P. smithii grown in elevated CO2, to the degree that A was similar in elevated and ambient CO2 (when soil moisture was adequate). Photosynthetic capacity was not reduced in B. gracilis under elevated CO2, but A was nearly saturated at ambient CO2. There were no stomatal adaptations independent of photosynthetic a...Continue Reading

Citations

Jun 17, 2008·Annals of Botany·Oula Ghannoum
May 17, 2007·The New Phytologist·William J PartonStephen Del Grosso
Nov 20, 2008·Journal of Integrative Plant Biology·Issmat I KassemQi Wang
Sep 16, 2020·American Journal of Botany·Emma SageDavid G Williams
Jan 4, 2018·Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America·David J AugustineJustin D Derner

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