Photosynthetic pathway and ontogeny affect water relations and the impact of CO 2 on Bouteloua gracilis (C 4) and Pascopyrum smithii (C 3)

The eastern Colorado shortgrass steppe is dominated by the C4 grass, Bouteloua gracilis, but contains a mixture of C3 grasses as well, including Pascopyrum smithii. Although the ecology of this region has been extensively studied, there is little information on how increasing atmospheric CO2 will affect it. This growth chamber study investigated gas exchange, water relations, growth, and biomass and carbohydrate partitioning in B. gracilis and P. smithii grown under present ambient and elevated CO2 concentrations of 350 ?l l?1and 700 ?l l?1, respectively, and two deficit irrigation regimes. The experiment was conducted in soil-packed columns planted to either species over a 2-month period under summer-like conditions...

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Journal Citation; Tags: Bouteloua gracilis, Oecologia, Pascopyrum smithii, blue grama, carbon dioxide, All tags... global change, partitioning, western wheatgrass, Fewer tags