Photosynthesis, carboxylation and leaf nitrogen responses of 16 species to elevated pCO2 across four free-air CO2 enrichment experiments in forest, grassland and desert

The magnitude of changes in carboxylation capacity in dominant plant species under long-term elevated CO2 exposure (elevated pCa) directly impacts ecosystem CO2 assimilation from the atmosphere. We analyzed field CO2 response curves of 16 C3 species of different plant growth forms in favorable growth conditions in four free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments in a pine and deciduous forest, a grassland and a desert. Among species and across herb, tree and shrub growth forms there were significant enhancements in CO2 assimilation (A) by +40±5% in elevated pCa (49.5–57.1 Pa), although there were also significant reductions in photosynthetic capacity in elevated pCa in some species. Photosynthesis at a common...

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Journal Citation; Tags: Global Change Biology, downregulation, elevated CO2, free-air CO2 enrichment, leaf carboxylation capacity, All tags... leaf nitrogen, nitrogen allocation to RuBP carboxylase enzyme, photosynthesis–nitrogen relationships, photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency, plant functional groups, Fewer tags