ALBERT

Notes: While investigations into shoot responses to elevated atmospheric CO2 are extensive, few studies have focused on how an elevated atmospheric CO2 environment might impact root functions such as water uptake and transport. Knowledge of functional root responses may be particularly important in ecosystems where water is limiting if predictions about global climate change are true. In this study we investigated the effect of elevated CO2 on the root hydraulic conductivity (Lp) of a C3 perennial, Larrea tridentata, and a C3 annual, Helianthus annuus. The plants were grown in a glasshouse under ambient (360 μmol mol–1) and elevated (700 μmol mol–1) CO2. The Lp through intact root systems was measured using a hydrostatic pressure-induced flow system. Leaf gas exchange was also determined for both species and leaf water potential (ψleaf) was determined in L. tridentata. The Lp of L. tridentata roots was unchanged by an elevated CO2 growth environment. Stomatal conductance (gs) and transpiration (E) decreased and photosynthetic rate (Anet) and Ψleaf increased in L. tridentata. There were no changes in biomass, leaf area, stem diameter or root : shoot (R : S) ratio for L. tridentata. In H. annuus, elevated CO2 induced a nearly two-fold decrease in root Lp. There was no effect of growth under elevated CO2 on Anet, gs, E, above- and below-ground dry mass, R : S ratio, leaf area, root length or stem diameter in this species. The results demonstrate that rising atmospheric CO2 can impact water uptake and transport in roots in a species-specific manner. Possible mechanisms for the observed decrease in root Lp in H. annuus under elevated CO2 are currently under investigation and may relate to either axial or radial components of root Lp.

Notes: The photosynthetic response of Larrea tridentata Cav., an evergreen Mojave Desert shrub, to elevated atmospheric CO2 and drought was examined to assist in the understanding of how plants from water-limited ecosystems will respond to rising CO2. We hypothesized that photosynthetic down-regulation would disappear during periods of water limitation, and would, therefore, likely be a seasonally transient event. To test this we measured photosynthetic, water relations and fluorescence responses during periods of increased and decreased water availability in two different treatment implementations: (1) from seedlings exposed to 360, 550, and 700 μmol mol–1 CO2 in a glasshouse; and (2) from intact adults exposed to 360 and 550 μmol mol–1 CO2 at the Nevada Desert FACE (Free Air CO2 Enrichment) Facility. FACE and glasshouse well-watered Larrea significantly down-regulated photosynthesis at elevated CO2, reducing maximum photosynthetic rate (Amax), carboxylation efficiency (CE), and Rubisco catalytic sites, whereas droughted Larrea showed a differing response depending on treatment technique. Amax and CE were lower in droughted Larrea compared with well-watered plants, and CO2 had no effect on these reduced photosynthetic parameters. However, Rubisco catalytic sites decreased in droughted Larrea at elevated CO2. Operating Ci increased at elevated CO2 in droughted plants, resulting in greater photosynthetic rates at elevated CO2 as compared with ambient CO2. In well-watered plants, the changes in operating Ci, CE and Amax resulted in similar photosynthetic rates across CO2 treatments. Our results suggest that drought can diminish photosynthetic down-regulation to elevated CO2 in Larrea, resulting in seasonally transient patterns of enhanced carbon gain. These results suggest that water status may ultimately control the photosynthetic response of desert systems to rising CO2.

Notes: The ability of seedlings to tolerate temperature extremes is important in determining the distribution of perennial plants in the arid south-western USA, and the manner in which elevated CO2 impacts the ability of plants to tolerate high temperatures is relatively unknown. Whereas the effects of chronic high temperature (30–38°C) and elevated CO2 are comparatively well understood, little research has assessed plant performance in elevated CO2 during extreme (〉 45 °C) temperature events. We exposed three species of Yucca to 360 and 700 μmol CO2 mol–1 for 8 months, then 9 d of high temperature (up to 53 °C) to evaluate the impacts of elevated CO2 on the potential for photosynthetic function during external high temperature. Seedlings of a coastal C3 species (Yucca whipplei), a desert C3 species (Yucca brevifolia), and a desert CAM species (Yucca schidigera), were used to test for differences among functional groups. In general, Yuccas exposed to elevated CO2 showed decreases in carboxylation efficiency as compared with plants grown at ambient before the initiation of high temperature. The coastal species (Y. whipplei) showed significant reductions (33%) in CO2 saturated maximum assimilation rate (Amax), but the desert species (Y. brevifolia and Y. schidigera) showed no such reductions in Amax. Stomatal conductance was lower in elevated CO2 as compared with ambient throughout the temperature event; however, there were species-specific differences over time. Elevated CO2 enhanced photosynthesis in Y. whipplei at high temperatures for a period of 4 d, but not for Y. brevifolia or Y. schidigera. Elevated CO2 offset photoinhibition (measured as Fv/Fm) in Y. whipplei as compared with ambient CO2, depending on exposure time to high temperature. Stable Fv/Fm in Y. whipplei occurred in parallel with increases in the quantum yield of photosystem II (ΦPSII) at high temperatures in elevated CO2. The value of ΦPSII remained constant or decreased with increasing temperature in all other treatment and species combinations. This suggests that the reductions in Fv/Fm resulted from thermal energy dissipation in the pigment bed for Y. brevifolia and Y. schidigera. The greater efficiency of photosystem II in Y. whipplei helped to maintain photosynthetic function at high temperatures in elevated CO2. These patterns are in contrast to the hypothesis that high temperatures in elevated CO2 would increase the potential for photoinhibition. Our results suggest that elevated CO2 may offset high-temperature stress in coastal Yucca, but not in those species native to drier systems. Therefore, in the case of Y. whipplei, elevated CO2 may allow plants to survive extreme temperature events, potentially relaxing the effects of high temperature on the establishment in novel habitats.

Notes: Abstract— Large scale, structurally representative, double tension crack arrest tests have been undertaken at temperatures between −99°C and −87°C. Applied stresses and the length of the embrittled crack starter sections were varied to give different applied stress intensity factors in the tests. The results indicate that crack arrest in structures is not governed solely by a so-called crack arrest temperature but that static linear elastic fracture mechanics can be used to describe it. The measured crack arrest toughness temperature curve of the 1.5%Ni TMCP steel investigated lies at the lower bound of published data.