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Carbon Flux and Growth in Mature Deciduous Forest Trees Exposed to Elevated CO2
Christian Körner,1*Roman Asshoff,1Olivier Bignucolo,1Stephan Hättenschwiler,1,2Sonja G. Keel,3Susanna Peláez-Riedl,1Steeve Pepin,1,4Rolf T. W. Siegwolf,3Gerhard Zotz1
Whether rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrationswill cause forests to grow faster and store more carbon is anopen question. Using free air CO2 release in combination witha canopy crane, we found an immediate and sustained enhancementof carbon flux through 35-meter-tall temperate forest treeswhen exposed to elevated CO2. However, there was no overallstimulation in stem growth and leaf litter production after4 years. Photosynthetic capacity was not reduced, leaf chemistrychanges were minor, and tree species differed in their responses.Although growing vigorously, these trees did not accrete morebiomass carbon in stems in response to elevated CO2, thus challengingprojections of growth responses derived from tests with smallertrees.
1 Institute of Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland. 2 Center of Functional Ecology and Evolution, CEFE-CNRS, 1919, route de Mende, F-34293 Montpellier cedex 5, F-34293 France. 3 Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland. 4 Faculté des sciences de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, Pavillon Paul-Comtois, Université Laval, Québec (Qc) G1K 7P4, Canada.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ch.koerner{at}unibas.ch
Climate Change and Food Security Special Feature: Crop and pasture response to climate change.
F. N. Tubiello, J.-F. Soussana, and S. M. Howden (2007)
PNAS
104, 19686-19690
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
Assessing Students' Ability to Trace Matter in Dynamic Systems in Cell Biology.
C. D. Wilson, C. W. Anderson, M. Heidemann, J. E. Merrill, B. W. Merritt, G. Richmond, D. F. Sibley, and J. M. Parker (2006)
CBE Life Sci Educ
5, 323-331
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
Construction costs, chemical composition and payback time of high- and low-irradiance leaves.
H. Poorter, S. Pepin, T. Rijkers, Y. de Jong, J. R. Evans, and C. Korner (2006)
J. Exp. Bot.
57, 355-371
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
Forest response to elevated CO2 is conserved across a broad range of productivity.
R. J. Norby, E. H. DeLucia, B. Gielen, C. Calfapietra, C. P. Giardina, J. S. King, J. Ledford, H. R. McCarthy, D. J. P. Moore, R. Ceulemans, et al. (2005)
PNAS
102, 18052-18056
|Abstract »|Full Text »|PDF »
