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Global Climate Change Digest
A Guide to Information on Greenhouse Gases and Ozone Depletion
Published July 1988 through June 1999

FROM VOLUME 2, NUMBER 10, OCTOBER 1989

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS...
CO₂ AND PLANTS

Item #d89oct64

"Elongation and Branching of Roots on Soybean Plants in a Carbon Dioxide-Enriched Aerial Environment," D. Del Castillo, B. Acock (USDA/ARS/NRI Sys. Res. Lab., Beltsville MD 20705) et al., 81(4), 692-695, July/Aug. 1989.

To test the theory that plants grown in high CO₂ concentrations often have a higher root weight than those grown in low CO₂ concentrations, soybean plants were grown in outdoor, sunlit plant-growth chambers in [CO₂] of 330, 450, 600 and 800 micro L L-1 throughout the growing season. It is usually assumed that the plants with extra root weight can explore a greater volume of soil and will, therefore, have more water available to them. However, CO₂ treatment did not affect the rate of elongation of individual root axes. Instead, there was a significant linear increase in the number of actively growing roots with increased [CO₂]. Thus, growing a plant in high [CO₂] enabled it to explore a given volume of soil more thoroughly, but did not increase the volume of soil explored.

Item #d89oct65

"Atmospheric CO₂ Enrichment Enhances Survival of Azolla at High Temperatures," S.B. Idso (U.S. Water Conserv. Lab., 4331 E. Broadway, Phoenix AZ 85040), S.G. Allen et al., Environ. Exper. Bot., 29(3), 337-341, July 1989.

In two years of experimentation with Azolla at Phoenix, Arizona, growth rates of this floating aquatic fern first decreased, then stagnated and finally became negative when the mean air temperature rose above 30° C. When the atmospheric CO₂ content was increased from the mean ambient concentration of 340 micro mol CO₂/mol air to 640, however, the debilitating effects of high temperatures were reduced. Atmospheric CO₂ enrichment may be capable of preventing the deaths of some plant species by either the direct effects of unduly high temperatures or associated debilitating diseases.

Item #d89oct66

"Acclimation of Two Tomato Species to High Atmospheric CO₂," S. Yelle, R.C. Beeson Jr., M.J. Trudel, A. Gosselin (Dept. Phytol., Univ. Laval, Québec, Québec G1K 7P4, Can.), Plant Physiol., 90(4), 1989.

"I. Sugar and Starch Concentrations," 1465-1472.

Two tomato species were exposed to two CO₂ concentrations (330 or 900 micro L L-1) for ten weeks. Carbon exchange rates were significantly higher in CO₂-enriched plants for the first few weeks of treatment but thereafter decreased as tomato plants acclimated to high atmospheric CO₂. Comparison of the differing responses of the two species indicates that the long-term decline of photosynthetic efficiency of leaf 5 cannot be attributed to an accumulation of sugar and starch.

"II. Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase and Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase," 1473-1477.

Elevated CO₂ concentrations increased the initial ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) activity of both species for the first five weeks of treatment, but the difference did not persist during the last five weeks. The two species showed the same trend to Rubisco declines under high CO₂ concentrations. Proposes that the decline of activated Rubisco is the main cause of the acclimation of tomato plants to high CO₂ concentrations.

Item #d89oct67

"Influence of Short-Term Atmospheric CO₂ Enrichment on Growth, Allocation Patterns, and Biochemistry of Black Spruce Seedlings at Different Stages of Development," M.A. Campagna (Dept. Forest Sci., Univ. Laval, Sainte Foy, Québec G1K 7P4, Can.), Can. J. For. Res., 19(6), 773-782, June 1989.

Black spruce seedlings were exposed to either elevated (1000 ppm) or ambient (340 ppm) atmospheric CO₂ levels at different stages of seedling development over a winter greenhouse production cycle. In September, those seedlings exposed to CO₂ in April and May had respectively 30% and 14% greater biomass than control seedlings, but seedlings from the other stages of development no longer showed significant differences from the CO₂ treatment. This property suggests that in commercial greenhouse production, it could be very efficient to give a short, preliminary CO₂ pulse, in hopes of producing a size difference that is maintained throughout the remainder of the production cycle under ambient levels of CO₂.

Item #d89oct68

"Competition and Patterns of Resource Use Among Seedlings of Five Tropical Trees Grown At Ambient and Elevated CO₂," E.G. Reekie (Dept. Biol., Acadia Univ., Wolfville, Nova Scotia B0P 1X0, Can.), F.A. Bazzaz, Oecologia, 79(2), 212-222, 1989.

Seedlings of five tropical trees were grown both as individuals and in competition with each other at ambient (350) and two elevated levels of CO₂ (525 and 700 micro L L-1) for a period of 111 days. Growth, allocation, canopy architecture, mid-day leaf water potential and soil moisture content were assessed three times over this period for individually grown plants, and at the end of the experiment for competitively grown plants. Elevated CO₂ did not affect photosynthesis or overall growth of the individually grown plants but did affect canopy architecture; mean canopy height increased with CO₂ in Piper auritum and Trichospermum mexicanum and decreased in Senna.

Item #d89oct69

"Environmental Effects on Photorespiration of C3-C4 Species--I. Influence of CO₂ and O2 during Growth on Photorespiratory Characteristics and Leaf Anatomy," G.T. Byrd, R.H. Brown (Dept. Agron., Univ. Georgia, Athens GA 30602), Plant Physiol., 90(3), 1022-1028, 1989.

Examined the possibility of altering CO₂ exchange of C3-C4 species by growing them under various CO₂ and O2 concentrations. Growth under CO₂ concentrations of 100, 350 and 750 micro mol mol-1 had no significant effect on CO₂ exchange characteristics or leaf anatomy of Flaveria pringlei (C3), Flaveria floridana (C3-C4), or Flaveria trinervia (C4). When grown for 12 days at an O2 concentration of 20 micro mol mol-1, apparent photosynthesis was strongly inhibited in Pancium miliodes (C3-C4) and to a lesser degree in Panicum laxum (C3).

Item #d89oct70

"Short Term Effect of CO₂ Enrichment on Leaf Development and Gas Exchange of Young Poplars (Populus euramericana cv I 214)," J.-P. Gaudillère (Sta. Physiol. Végétale, Inst. Nat. Recherche Agron., Ctr. Recherches de Bordeaux, BP 131 Bordeaux, France), M. Mousseau, Acta O/Ecol./O/Ecol. Plant., 10(1), 95-105, 1989. In French.

Young poplars were exposed to 330 micro L L-1 for 15 days and 660 micro L L-1 for the following 15 days. Under enriched CO₂, leaves acquired greater size and specific mass, and more stomata, epidermal cells and chlorophyll, than in normal air. The change in CO₂ to the higher level prompted renewed leaf development, and a significantly greater consequent exchange of gases and water vapor was measured for individual leaves.