Photosynthetica 2000, 38(1):69-81 | DOI: 10.1023/A:1026795924459

Controlled Environment Chambers for Investigating Tree Response to Elevated CO2 and Temperature Under Boreal Conditions

S. Kellomäki1, Kai-Yun Wang2, M. Lemettinen3
1 Faculty of Forestry, University of Joensuu, Joensu, Finland
2 Faculty of Forestry, University of Joensuu, Joensuu, Finland
3 Mekrijärvi Research Station, University of Joensuu, Ilomantsi, Finland

A closed CO2 and temperature-controlled, long-term chamber system has been developed and set up in a typical boreal forest of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) near the Mekrijärvi Research Station (62°47'N, 30°58'E, 145 m above sea level) belonging to the University of Joensuu, Finland. The main objectives of the experiment were to provide a means of assessing the medium to long-term effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration (EC) and temperature (ET) on photosynthesis, respiration, growth, and biomass at the whole-tree level and to measure instantaneous whole-system CO2 exchange. The system consists of 16 chambers with individual facilities for controlling CO2 concentration, temperature, and the combination of the two. The chambers can provide a wide variety of climatic conditions that are similar to natural regimes. In this experiment the target CO2 concentration in the EC chambers was set at a fixed constant of 700 µmol mol-1 and the target air temperature in the ET chambers to track the ambient temperature but with a specified addition. Chamber performance was assessed on the base of recordings covering three consecutive years. The CO2 and temperature control in these closed chambers was in general accurate and reliable. CO2 concentration in the EC chambers was within 600-725 µmol mol-1 for 90 % of the exposure time during the "growing-season" (15 April - 15 September) and 625-725 µmol mol-1 for 88 % of the time in the "off-season" (16 September - 14 April), while temperatures in the chambers were within ±2.0 °C of the ambient or target temperature in the "growing season" and within ±3.0 °C in the "off season". There were still some significant chamber effects. Solar radiation in the chambers was reduced by 50-60 % for 82 % of the time in the "growing season" and 55-65 % for 78 % of the time in the "off season", and the relative humidity of the air was increased by 5-10 % for 72 % of the time in the "growing season" and 2-12 % for 91 % of the time in the "off season". The crown architecture and main phenophase of the trees were not modified significantly by enclosure in the chambers, but some physiological parameters changed significantly, e.g., the radiant energy-saturated photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem 2, and chlorophyll content.

Additional key words: climate change; pine forest; Pinus sylvestris L.

Prepublished online: October 1, 2000; Published: April 1, 2000  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Kellomäki, S., Wang, K., & Lemettinen, M. (2000). Controlled Environment Chambers for Investigating Tree Response to Elevated CO2 and Temperature Under Boreal Conditions. Photosynthetica, 38(1), 69-81. doi: 10.1023/A:1026795924459
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Ashenden, T.W., Baxter, R., Rafarel, C.R.: An inexpensive system for exposing plants in the field to elevated concentrations of CO2.-Plant Cell Environ. 15: 365-372, 1992. Go to original source...
    2. Barton, C.V.M., Lee, H.S.J., Jarvis, P.G.: A branch bag and CO2 control system for long-term CO2 enrichment of mature Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.: technical report.-Plant Cell Environ. 16: 1139-1148, 1993. Go to original source...
    3. Drake, B.G., Leadley, P.W., Arp, W.J., Nassiry, D., Curtis, P.S.: An open-top chamber for field studies of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration on salt marsh vegetation.-Funct. Ecol. 3: 363-371, 1989. Go to original source...
    4. Fuhrer, J.: Study of effects of ozone on pastures: opportunities and limitations of open-top chambers.-In: Schulze, E.-D., Mooney, H.A. (ed.): Design and Execution of Experiments on CO2 Enrichment. Pp. 261-272. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels 1993.
    5. Heagle, A.S., Body, D.E., Heck, W.W.: An open top chamber to assess the impact of air pollution on plants.-J. Environ. Qual. 2: 365-368, 1973. Go to original source...
    6. Hendrey, G.R., Lewin, K.F., Nagy, J.: Free air carbon dioxide enrichment: development, progress, results.-Vegetatio 104/105: 17-31, 1993. Go to original source...
    7. IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change]: Climate change 1995.-In: Houghton, J.T., Filho, L.G.M., Callander, B.A., Harris, N., Kattenberg, A., Maskell, K. (ed.): The Science of Climate Change. Pp. 274-276. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1996.
    8. Jäger, H.-J., Weigel, H.-J.: The European open-top chamber network-a basis and framework for studies of the effects of elevated CO2 and its interactions with air pollution.-In: Schultze, E.D., Mooney, H.A. (ed.): Design and Execution of Experiments on CO2 Enrichment. Pp. 291-306. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels 1993.
    9. Jarvis, P.G.: European Forests and Global Change - The Likely Impacts of Rising CO2 and Temperature. Pp. xiii-xv. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1998.
    10. Kellomäki, S., Väisänen, H.: Modelling the dynamics of the forest ecosystem for climate change studies in the boreal conditions.-Ecol. Modell. 97: 121-140, 1997. Go to original source...
    11. Kellomäki, S., Väisänen, H., Strandman, H.: FinnFor: a model for calculating the response of boreal forest ecosystem to climate change.-Research Notes 6: 1-120, 1993.
    12. Kellomäki, S., Wang, K.-Y.: Photosynthetic responses to needle water potentials in Scots pine after a four-year exposure to elevated CO2 and temperature.-Tree Physiol. 16: 765-772, 1996. Go to original source...
    13. Kellomäki, S., Wang, K.-Y.: Photosynthetic responses of Scots pine to elevated CO2 and nitrogen supply: results of a branch-in-bag experiment.-Tree Physiol. 17: 231-240, 1997a. Go to original source...
    14. Kellomäki, S., Wang, K.Y.: Effects of long-term CO2 and temperature elevation on crown nitrogen distribution and daily photosynthetic performance of Scots pine.-Forest Ecol. Manag. 450: 309-327, 1997b. Go to original source...
    15. Kellomäki, S., Wang, K.-Y.: Sap flow in Scots pines growing under conditions of year-round carbon dioxide enrichment and temperature elevation.-Plant Cell Environ. 21: 969-981, 1998a. Go to original source...
    16. Kellomäki, S., Wang, K.-Y.: Daily and seasonal CO2 exchange in Scots pine grown under elevated O3 and CO2: experiment and simulation.-Plant Ecol. 136: 229-248, 1998b. Go to original source...
    17. Kellomäki, S., Wang, K.-Y.: Short-term environmental controls on the heat and water vapour fluxes above a boreal coniferous forest: model computation compared with measurements by an eddy correlation.-Ecol. Model. 124: 145-173, 1999. Go to original source...
    18. Körner, C.H., Arnone, J.A., III, Hilti, W.: The utility of enclosed artificial ecosystems in CO2 research.-In: Schulze, E.-D., Mooney, H.A. (ed.): Design and Execution of Experiments on CO2 Enrichment. Pp. 185-198. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels 1993.
    19. Lee, H.S.J., Barton, C.V.M., Jarvis, P.G.: Effects of elevated CO2 on mature Sitka spruce.-Vegetatio 104/105: 456-457, 1993. Go to original source...
    20. Long, S.P., Drake, B.G.: Effects of the long-term elevation of CO2 concentration in the field on the quantum yield of photosynthesis of the C3 sedge, Scirpus olneyi.-Plant Physiol. 96: 221-226, 1991. Go to original source...
    21. Norris, T., Wilkinson, D., Lockwood, A., Belay, A., Colls, J.J., Bailey, B.J.: Performance of a controlled-ventilation open-top chamber for climate change research.-Agr. Forest Meteorol. 78: 239-257, 1996. Go to original source...
    22. Oechel, W.C., Riechers, G., Lawrence, W.T., Prudhomme, T.I., Grulke, N., Hastings, S.J.: 'CO2LT' an automated, null-balance system for studying the effects of elevated CO2 and global climate change on unmanaged ecosystems.-Funct. Ecol. 6: 86-100, 1992. Go to original source...
    23. Overdieck, D., Kellomäki, S., Wang, K.-Y.: Do the effects of temperature and CO2 interact?-In: Jarvis, P.G. (ed.): European Forests and Global Change. Pp. 236-269. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1998.
    24. Payer, H.D., Blodow, P., Köfferlein, M., Lippert, M., Schmolke, W., Seckmeyer, G., Seidlitz, H., Strube, D., Thiel, S.: Controlled environment chambers for experimental studies on plant responses to CO2 and interactions with pollutants.-In: Schulze, E.D., Mooney, H.A. (ed.): Design and Execution of Experiments on CO2 Enrichment. Pp. 127-145. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels 1993. Go to original source...
    25. Vourlitis, G., Oechel, W.C.: Microcosms in natural experiments.-In: Schulze, E.D., Mooney, H.A. (ed.): Design and Execution of Experiments on CO2 Enrichment. Pp. 199-210. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels 1993.
    26. Wang, K.-Y.: Canopy CO2 exchange of Scots pine and its seasonal variation after four-year exposure to elevated CO2 and temperature.-Agr. Forest Meteorol. 82: 1-27, 1996. Go to original source...
    27. Wang, K.-Y., Kellomäki, S.: Effects of elevated CO2 and soil-nitrogen supply on chlorophyll fluorescence and gas exchange in Scots pine, based on a branch-in-bag experiment.-New Physiol. 136: 277-286, 1997. Go to original source...
    28. Wang, K.-Y., Kellomäki, S., Laitinen, K.: Effects of needle age, long-term temperature and CO2 treatments on the photosynthesis of Scots pine.-Tree Physiol. 15: 211-218, 1995. Go to original source...
    29. Wang, K.-Y., Kellomäki, S., Laitinen, K.: Acclimation of photosynthetic parameters in Scots pine after three years exposure to elevated temperature and CO2.-Agr. Forest Meteorol. 82: 195-217, 1996. Go to original source...
    30. Weinstock, L., Kender, W.J., Musselman, R.C.: Microclimate within open top air pollution chambers and its relation to grapevine physiology.-J. amer. Soc. hort. Sci. 107: 923-929, 1982. Go to original source...

    Return to the content