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Research article2002Peer reviewed

Above-ground plant production under elevated carbon dioxide in a Swedish semi-natural grassland

Marissink, M; Pettersson, R; Sindhoj, E

Abstract

Plants have shown responses to elevated CO2 in many experiments under controlled conditions. Yet, predicting responses under field conditions is still difficult and the number of long-term field studies on elevated CO2 is limited. Here the results from 4 years' physiology and production studies in the field are presented. In a species-rich semi-natural grassland in central Sweden open-top chambers were used to study the effects of elevated carbon dioxide concentration (twice the ambient level) on plant production, physiology and species composition. The first three growing seasons showed a 30-60% increase in above-ground biomass at harvest under elevated CO2. During the fourth year there was no difference in above-ground biomass between the treatments. For all years, leaf-level photosynthesis for measured species was 30-60% higher and stomatal conductance 20-40% lower at elevated CO2 than at ambient. Nitrogen concentration in stems and leaves was 5-20% lower at elevated CO2. Specific leaf area (SLA) did not show any response to elevated CO2. The variation in the effect of CO2 on above-ground production was attributed to variation in water stress, with low water stress (high precipitation) giving the least effect. It is concluded that even in this relatively low-production system CO2 effects can persist for at least several years and even increase. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords

elevated CO2; above-ground biomass; water-use efficiency; open-top chambers; photosynthesis; stomatal conductance; semi-natural grasslands

Published in

Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
2002, Volume: 93, number: 1-3, article number: PII S0167-8809(01)00356-5

      SLU Authors

    • Marissink, Mark

      • Department of Ecology and Crop Production Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

      • Pettersson, Roger

        • Department of Ecology and Crop Production Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

        • Sindhöj, Erik

          • Department of Soil Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

        UKÄ Subject classification

        Ecology

        Publication identifier

        DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-8809(01)00356-5

        Permanent link to this page (URI)

        https://res.slu.se/id/publ/127342