ALBERT

Notes: To analyse the broad-scale behaviour of 15 global models of the terrestrial biosphere, we evaluated the sensitivity of simulated net primary productivity (NPP) to spatial and seasonal variations in precipitation, temperature and solar radiation, and to the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). For annual NPP estimates, the models’ sensitivities to climate were the most similar in regions where NPP was not limited by precipitation. The largest differences in sensitivities occurred in regions where NPP was limited by both temperature and precipitation. Water use efficiencies within the models were relatively constant across latitudes so that higher correlations occurred between the latitudinal distribution of NPP and precipitation than with the other climate variables. The sensitivities of NPP estimates to solar radiation varied considerably with latitude. The largest differences in temperature sensitivity among NPP estimates occurred in the northern latitudes (50°N–70°N), i.e. the zone with the shortest active growing seasons. The sensitivity of NPP estimates to climate also varied seasonally. At the beginning and end of the active growing season in the boreal zone, monthly NPP estimates of all models were the most sensitive to temperature. In the tropics, sensitivities to climate varied widely among and within models. Seasonal changes in water balance and the structure of the vegetation canopy, as reflected by seasonal changes in NDVI, modified the sensitivity of NPP to climate in both boreal and tropical zones. Because these are both highly productive regions sensitive to climate change, continued investigations and better validation of models are necessary before we can fully understand and predict changes in ecosystem structure and function under various climatic conditions.

Notes: The direct effect of elevated carbon dioxide on evapotranspiration over a growing season was investigated by scaling up single-leaf gas exchange measurements on soybean and corn plants grown and measured at three carbon dioxide concentrations. Stomatal conductance decreased markedly with increasing carbon dioxide in these species under most conditions. Coupled soil–vegetation–atmosphere models were used to scale up these single-leaf level measurements to simulate evapotranspiration at the regional scale from planting to harvest. The coupled modelling system introduced feedbacks over the season that are not present at the measurement level, which decreased the effect of carbon dioxide on evapotranspiration. Four sets of simulations were performed to evaluate specifically the magnitude of four feedbacks; two resulting from scale, surface layer and mixed layer feedback, one resulting from soil evaporation and one resulting from the interactions of stomatal conductance and the simulated canopy microclimate (physiological feedback). The feedbacks occurring from scale were consistent with previous analytical work indicating that transpiration becomes less dependent on stomatal conductance at larger scales. Evaporation from the soil has been generally neglected in past studies on carbon dioxide effects, but was especially important in decreasing the effects of carbon dioxide on evapotranspiration and showed a seasonal dynamic. The feedback resulting from physiological responses has also received less attention than the feedbacks from scale, but was only moderately important in these simulations. We also investigated the seasonal dynamics of how the observed increase in leaf area at elevated carbon dioxide affects evapotranspiration. Considering all the feedbacks and the observed increase in leaf area at elevated carbon dioxide, the simulated decrease in evapotranspiration was not negligible but was much less than the decrease in stomatal conductance. At the regional scale and maximum complexity in our model, the simulated decrease in seasonal evapotranspiration at doubled carbon dioxide (700 μmol mol–1) was 5.4% for soybeans and 8.6% for corn.

Notes: The release of certain man-made chemicals has led to recurrent, seasonal destruction of ozone in the upper atmosphere, allowing more solar radiation in the UV-B waveband to reach the Earth. Consequently, many amphibians may suffer increased exposure to UV-B at various stages in their lives. Embryonic stages of species which spawn in the spring, in shallow, open water, are at high risk of increased exposure. We exposed newly fertilized eggs of one such species, Rana temporaria L., to sunlight with and without supplemental UV-B. We used outdoor arrays of lamps to simulate the increase in UV-B which might result from previously documented ozone depletion. From immediately after fertilization to when hatchlings began feeding, ambient solar UV-B, weighted for DNA-damaging potential, was supplemented by ≈ 81% in 1995 and 113% in 1996. These levels of supplementation approximated the increase in solar UV-B expected to result from losses of 21% and 25%, respectively, of the total amount of ozone in the atmospheric column, relative to pre-ozone-depletion values. We found no evidence that these additions of UV-B radiation increased the incidence of mortality or overt developmental abnormality among embryos. We stress the need for appropriate dosimetry in studies of effects of UV-B on organisms.

Notes: The net ecosystem exchange of CO2 between forests and the atmosphere, measured by eddy covariance, is the small difference between two large fluxes of photosynthesis and respiration. Chamber measurements of soil surface CO2 efflux (Fs), wood respiration (Fw) and foliage respiration (Ff) help identify the contributions of these individual components to net ecosystem exchange. Models developed from the chamber data also provide independent estimates of respiration costs. We measured CO2 efflux with chambers periodically in 1996–97 in a ponderosa pine forest in Oregon, scaled these measurements to the ecosystem, and computed annual totals for respiration by component. We also compared estimated half-hourly ecosystem respiration at night (Fnc) with eddy covariance measurements. Mean foliage respiration normalized to 10 °C was 0.20 μmol m–2 (hemi-leaf surface area) s–1, and reached a maximum of 0.24 μmol m–2 HSA s–1 between days 162 and 208. Mean wood respiration normalized to 10 °C was 5.9 μmol m–3 sapwood s–1, with slightly higher rates in mid-summer, when growth occurs. There was no significant difference (P 〉 0.10) between wood respiration of young (45 years) and old trees (250 years). Soil surface respiration normalized to 10 °C ranged from 0.7 to 3.0 μmol m–2 (ground) s–1 from days 23 to 329, with the lowest rates in winter and highest rates in late spring. Annual CO2 flux from soil surface, foliage and wood was 683, 157, and 54 g C m–2 y–1, with soil fluxes responsible for 76% of ecosystem respiration. The ratio of net primary production to gross primary production was 0.45, consistent with values for conifer sites in Oregon and Australia, but higher than values reported for boreal coniferous forests. Below-ground carbon allocation (root turnover and respiration, estimated as Fs– litterfall carbon) consumed 61% of GPP; high ratios such as this are typical of sites with more water and nutrient constraints. The chamber estimates were moderately correlated with change in CO2 storage in the canopy (Fstor) on calm nights (friction velocity u* 〈 0.25 m s–1; R2 = 0.60); Fstor was not significantly different from summed chamber estimates. On windy nights (u* 〉 0.25 m s–1), the sum of turbulent flux measured above the canopy by eddy covariance and Fstor was only weakly correlated with summed chamber estimates (R2 = 0.14); the eddy covariance estimates were lower than chamber estimates by 50%.

Notes: Reliable regional or global estimates of methane emissions from flooded rice paddy soils depend on an examination of methodologies by which the current high variability in the estimates might be reduced. One potential way to do this is the development of predictive models. With an understanding of the processes of methane production, oxidation and emission, a semi-empirical model, focused on the contributions of rice plants to the processes and also the influence of environmental factors, was developed to predict methane emission from flooded rice fields. A simplified version of the model was also derived to predict methane emission in a more practical manner. In this study, it was hypothesized that methanogenic substrates are primarily derived from rice plants and added organic matter. Rates of methane production in flooded rice soils are determined by the availability of methanogenic substrates and the influence of environmental factors. Rice growth and development control the fraction of methane emitted. The amount of methane transported from the soil to the atmosphere is determined by the rates of production and the emitted fraction. Model validation against observations from single rice growing seasons in Texas, USA demonstrated that the seasonal variation of methane emission is regulated by rice growth and development. A further validation of the model against measurements from irrigated rice paddy soils in various regions of the world, including Italy, China, Indonesia, Philippines and the United States, suggests that methane emission can be predicted from rice net productivity, cultivar character, soil texture and temperature, and organic matter amendments.

Notes: When the effect of water content was minimized, soil CO2 evolution and soil organic matter content were good predictors of aerobic NO. uptake rate constants across a wide range of soil types. Field manure application to a Gleysol stimulated NO. uptake rate constants and lowered NO. compensation points compared to unfertilized or NH4NO3-fertilized soil. This effect lasted for months after manure application. In a laboratory experiment, addition of manure reduced the NO. efflux associated with nitrification of NH4 Cl fertilizer, and manured soils had a greater capacity to remove NO. from polluted air. Evidence is presented that these observations result from NO. oxidation during heterotrophic microbial activity in soil.

Notes: A FACE (Free Air CO2 Enrichment) experiment was carried out on Potato (Solanum tuberosum L., cv. Primura) in 1995 in Italy. Three FACE rings were used to fumigate circular field plots of 8 m diameter while two rings were used as controls at ambient CO2 concentrations. Four CO2 exposure levels were used in the rings (ambient, 460, 560 and 660 μmol mol–1). Phenology and crop development, canopy surface temperature, above- and below-ground biomass were monitored during the growing season. Crop phenology was affected by elevated CO2, as the date of flowering was progressively anticipated in the 660, 560, 460 μmol mol–1 treatments. Crop development was not affected significantly as plant height, leaf area and the number of leaves per plant were the same in the four treatments. Elevated atmospheric CO2 levels had, instead, a significant effect on the accumulation of total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC = soluble sugars + starch) in the leaves during a sunny day. Specific leaf area was decreased under elevated CO2 with a response that paralleled that of TNC concentrations. This reflected the occurrence of a progressive increase of photosynthetic rates and carbon assimilation in plants exposed to increasingly higher levels of atmospheric CO2. Tuber growth and final tuber yield were also stimulated by rising CO2 levels. When calculated by regression of tuber yield vs. the imposed levels of CO2concentration, yield stimulation was as large as 10% every 100 μmol mol–1 increase, which translated into over 40% enhancement in yield under 660 μmol mol–1. This was related to a higher number of tubers rather than greater mean tuber mass or size. Leaf senescence was accelerated under elevated CO2 and a linear relationship was found between atmospheric CO2 levels and leaf reflectance measured at 0.55 μm wavelength. We conclude that significant CO2 stimulation of yield has to be expected for potato under future climate scenarios, and that crop phenology will be affected as well.

Notes: The effect of CO2 concentration on plant growth and the size of the rhizosphere denitrifier population was investigated for ryegrass grown at 3 different soil pH values (pH 4.3, 5.9 and 7.0). Soil microcosms were planted with ryegrass and maintained under constant growth conditions at either ambient (450ppm) or elevated (720ppm) CO2 concentration. At harvest, the rhizosphere soil was collected and subjected to a potential denitrification assay to provide an estimate of the size of the denitrifier population present. Ryegrass dry matter production varied across the pH range studied and contrary to other studies, elevated CO2 concentration did not consistently increase growth. Plant growth was reduced by ≈ 35% and 23% at pH 4.3 and pH 5.9, respectively, under elevated CO2 concentration. At pH 7.0, however, plant growth was increased by ≈ 45% under elevated CO2. Potential denitrification rates within the rhizosphere followed a similar pattern to plant growth in the different treatments, suggesting that plant growth and the size of denitrifier population within the rhizosphere are coupled. This study investigates the relationship between plant growth and rhizosphere denitrification potential, thereby providing an estimate of the size of the denitrifier population under increased CO2 concentration and soil pH.

Notes: Evaluating the role of terrestrial ecosystems in the global carbon cycle requires a detailed understanding of carbon exchange between vegetation, soil, and the atmosphere. Global climatic change may modify the net carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems, causing feedbacks on atmospheric CO2 and climate. We describe a model for investigating terrestrial carbon exchange and its response to climatic variation based on the processes of plant photosynthesis, carbon allocation, litter production, and soil organic carbon decomposition. The model is used to produce geographical patterns of net primary production (NPP), carbon stocks in vegetation and soils, and the seasonal variations in net ecosystem production (NEP) under both contemporary and future climates. For contemporary climate, the estimated global NPP is 57.0 Gt C y–1, carbon stocks in vegetation and soils are 640 Gt C and 1358 Gt C, respectively, and NEP varies from –0.5 Gt C in October to 1.6 Gt C in July. For a doubled atmospheric CO2 concentration and the corresponding climate, we predict that global NPP will rise to 69.6 Gt C y–1, carbon stocks in vegetation and soils will increase by, respectively, 133 Gt C and 160 Gt C, and the seasonal amplitude of NEP will increase by 76%. A doubling of atmospheric CO2 without climate change may enhance NPP by 25% and result in a substantial increase in carbon stocks in vegetation and soils. Climate change without CO2 elevation will reduce the global NPP and soil carbon stocks, but leads to an increase in vegetation carbon because of a forest extension and NPP enhancement in the north. By combining the effects of CO2 doubling, climate change, and the consequent redistribution of vegetation, we predict a strong enhancement in NPP and carbon stocks of terrestrial ecosystems. This study simulates the possible variation in the carbon exchange at equilibrium state. We anticipate to investigate the dynamic responses in the carbon exchange to atmospheric CO2 elevation and climate change in the past and future.

Notes: Variation in soil temperature can account for most of the seasonal and diel variation in soil CO2 efflux, but the temperature effect is not always consistent, and other factors such as soil water content are known to influence soil respiration. The objectives of this research were to study the spatial and temporal variation in soil respiration in a temperate forested landscape and to evaluate temperature and soil water functions as predictors of soil respiration. Soil CO2 fluxes were measured with chambers throughout an annual cycle in six study areas at the Harvard Forest in central Massachusetts that include soil drainage classes from well drained to very poorly drained. The mean annual estimate of soil CO2 efflux was 7.2 Mg ha–1, but ranged from 5.3 in the swamp site to 8.5 in a well-drained site, indicating that landscape heterogeneity is related to soil drainage class. An exponential function relating CO2 fluxes to soil temperature accounted for 80% of the seasonal variation in fluxes across all sites (Q10 = 3.9), but the Q10 ranged from 3.4 to 5.6 for the individual study sites. A significant drought in 1995 caused rapid declines in soil respiration rates in August and September in five of the six sites (a swamp site was the exception). This decline in CO2 fluxes correlated exponentially with decreasing soil matric potential, indicating a mechanistic effect of drought stress. At moderate to high water contents, however, soil water content was negatively correlated with soil temperature, which precluded distinguishing between the effects of these two confounded factors on CO2 flux. Occurrence of high Q10 values and variation in Q10 values among sites may be related to: (i) confounding effects of high soil water content; (ii) seasonal and diel patterns in root respiration and turnover of fine roots that are linked to above ground phenology and metabolism; and (iii) variation in the depth where CO2 is produced. The Q10 function can yield reasonably good predictions of annual fluxes of CO2, but it is a simplification that masks responses of root and microbial processes to variation in temperature and water content throughout the soil.

Notes: The challenge to identify the biospheric sinks for about half the total carbon emissions from fossil fuels must include a consideration of below-ground ecosystem processes as well as those more easily measured above-ground. Recent studies suggest that tropical grasslands and savannas may contribute more to the ‘missing sink’ than was previously appreciated, perhaps as much as 0.5 Pg (= 0.5 Gt) carbon per annum. The rapid increase in availability of productivity data facilitated by the Internet will be important for future scaling-up of global change responses, to establish independent lines of evidence about the location and size of carbon sinks.

Notes: Long-term data from Sanborn Field, one of the oldest experimental fields in the USA, were used to determine the direction of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics in cultivated land. Changes in agriculture in the last 50 years including introduction of more productive varieties, wide scale use of mineral fertilizers and reduced tillage caused increases in total net annual production (TNAP), yields and SOC content. TNAP of winter wheat more than doubled during the last century, rising from 2.0–2.5 to 5–6 Mg ha–1 of carbon, TNAP of corn rose from 3–4 to 9.5–11.0 Mg ha–1 of carbon. Amounts of carbon returned annually with crop residues increased even more drastically, from less than 1 Mg ha–1 in the beginning of the century to 3–3.5 Mg ha–1 for wheat and 5–6 Mg ha–1 for corn in the 90s. These amounts increased in a higher proportion because in the early 50s removal of postharvest residues from the field was discontinued. SOC during the first half of the century, when carbon input was low, was mineralized at a high rate: 89 and 114 g m–2 y–1 under untreated wheat and corn, respectively. Application of manure decreased losses by half, but still the SOC balance remained negative. Since 1950, the direction of the carbon dynamics has reversed: soil under wheat monocrop (with mineral fertilizer) accumulated carbon at a rate about 50 g m–2 y–1, three year rotation (corn/wheat/clover) with manure and nitrogen applications sequestered 150 g m2 y–1 of carbon. Applying conservative estimates of carbon sequestration documented on Sanborn Field to the wheat and corn production area in the USA, suggests that carbon losses to the atmosphere from these soils were decreased by at least 32 Tg annually during the last 40–50 years. Our computations prove that cultivated soils under proper management exercise a positive influence in the current imbalance in the global carbon budget.

Notes: Seventeen global models of terrestrial biogeochemistry were compared with respect to annual and seasonal fluxes of net primary productivity (NPP) for the land biosphere. The comparison, sponsored by IGBP-GAIM/DIS/GCTE, used standardized input variables wherever possible and was carried out through two international workshops and over the Internet. The models differed widely in complexity and original purpose, but could be grouped in three major categories: satellite-based models that use data from the NOAA/AVHRR sensor as their major input stream (CASA, GLO-PEM, SDBM, SIB2 and TURC), models that simulate carbon fluxes using a prescribed vegetation structure (BIOME-BGC, CARAIB 2.1, CENTURY 4.0, FBM 2.2, HRBM 3.0, KGBM, PLAI 0.2, SILVAN 2.2 and TEM 4.0), and models that simulate both vegetation structure and carbon fluxes (BIOME3, DOLY and HYBRID 3.0). The simulations resulted in a range of total NPP values (44.4–66.3 Pg C year–1), after removal of two outliers (which produced extreme results as artefacts due to the comparison). The broad global pattern of NPP and the relationship of annual NPP to the major climatic variables coincided in most areas. Differences could not be attributed to the fundamental modelling strategies, with the exception that nutrient constraints generally produced lower NPP. Regional and global NPP were sensitive to the simulation method for the water balance. Seasonal variation among models was high, both globally and locally, providing several indications for specific deficiencies in some models.

Notes: Interactive effects of CO2 and water availability have been predicted to alter the competitive relationships between C3 and C4 species over geological and contemporary time scales. We tested the effects of drought and CO2 partial pressures (pCO2) ranging from values of the Pleistocene to those predicted for the future on the physiology and growth of model C3 and C4 species. We grew co-occurring Abutilon theophrasti (C3) and Amaranthus retroflexus (C4) in monoculture at 18 (Pleistocene), 27 (preindustrial), 35 (current), and 70 (future) Pa CO2 under conditions of high light and nutrient availability. After 27 days of growth, water was withheld from randomly chosen plants of each species until visible wilting occurred. Under well-watered conditions, low pCO2 that occurred during the Pleistocene was highly limiting to C3 photosynthesis and growth, and C3 plants showed increased photosynthesis and growth with increasing pCO2 between the Pleistocene and future CO2 values. Well-watered C4 plants exhibited increased photosynthesis in response to increasing pCO2, but total mass and leaf area were unaffected by pCO2. In response to drought, C3 plants dropped a large amount of leaf area and maintained relatively high leaf water potential in remaining leaves, whereas C4 plants retained greater leaf area, but at a lower leaf water potential. Furthermore, drought-treated C3 plants grown at 18 Pa CO2 retained relatively greater leaf area than C3 plants grown at higher pCO2 and exhibited a delay in the reduction of stomatal conductance that may have occurred in response to severe carbon limitations. The C4 plants grown at 70 Pa CO2 showed lower relative reductions in net photosynthesis by the end of the drought compared to plants at lower pCO2, indicating that CO2 enrichment may alleviate drought effects in C4 plants. At the Pleistocene pCO2, C3 and C4 plants showed similar relative recovery from drought for leaf area and biomass production, whereas C4 plants showed higher recovery than C3 plants at current and elevated pCO2. Based on these model systems, we conclude that C3 species may not have been at a disadvantage relative to C4 species in response to low CO2 and severe drought during the Pleistocene. Furthermore, C4 species may have an advantage over C3 species in response to increasing atmospheric CO2 and more frequent and severe droughts.

Notes: Carbon dioxide, water vapour, and sensible heat fluxes were measured above and within a spruce dominated forest near the southern ecotone of the boreal forest in Maine, USA. Summer, mid-day carbon dioxide uptake was higher than at other boreal coniferous forests, averaging about – 13 μmol CO2 m–2 s–1. Nocturnal summer ecosystem respiration averaged ≈ 6 μmol CO2 m–2 s–1 at a mean temperature of ≈ 15 °C. Significant ecosystem C uptake began with the thawing of the soil in early April and was abruptly reduced by the first autumn frost in early October. Half-hourly forest CO2 exchange was regulated mostly by the incident photosynthetically active photon flux density (PPFD). In addition to the threshold effects of freezing temperatures, there were seasonal effects on the inferred photosynthetic parameters of the forest canopy. The functional response of this forest to environmental variation was similar to that of other spruce forests. In contrast to reports of carbon loss from northerly boreal forest sites, in 1996 the Howland forest was a strong carbon sink, storing about 2.1 t C ha–1.

Notes: The exchange of CH4 between tropical forests and the atmosphere was determined by simultaneously measuring the net CH4 flux at the soil surface and assessing the flux contribution from soil-feeding termite biomass, both within the soil profile and in mounds. In Cameroon the flux of CH4 ranged from a net emission of 40.7 ng m–2 s–1 to a net CH4 oxidation of –53.0 ng m–2 s–1. Soil-inhabiting termite biomass was significantly correlated with CH4 flux. Termite mounds emitted up to 2000 ng s–1 mound–1. Termite-derived CH4 emission reduced the soil sink strength by up to 28%. Disturbance also had a strong effect on the soil sink strength, with the average rate of CH4 oxidation, at – 17.5 ng m–2 s–1, being significantly smaller (≈ 36%) at the secondary forest site than the –27.2 ng m–2 s–1, observed at the primary forest site. CH4 budgets calculated for each site indicated that both forests were net sinks for CH4 at – 6.1 kg ha–1 y–1 in the near-primary forest and – 3.1 kg ha–1 y–1 in the secondary forest.In Borneo, three forest sites representing a disturbance gradient were examined. CH4 oxidation rates ranged from 0 to – 32.1 ng m–2s–1 and a significant correlation between the net flux and termite biomass was observed only in an undisturbed primary forest, although the biomass was insufficient to cause net emission of CH4. Rates of CH4 oxidation were not significantly different across the disturbance gradient but were, however, larger in the primary forest (averaging – 15.4 ng m–2 s–1) than in an old-growth secondary forest (–13.9 ng m–2s–1) and a young secondary re-growth (– 10.8 ng m–2s–1). CH4 flux from termite mounds ranged from net oxidation in an abandoned mound to a maximum emission of 468 ng s–1 mound–1. CH4 budgets calculated for each site indicated that CH4 flux from termite mounds had an insignificant effect on the budget of CH4 at the regional scale at all three forest sites. Annual oxidation rates were – 4.8, – 4.2 and – 3.4 kg ha–1 y–1 in the primary, secondary and young secondary forests, respectively.

Notes: Saplings of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) were exposed at an outdoor facility to modulated levels of elevated UV-B radiation (280–315 nm) under treatment arrays of cellulose diacetate-filtered fluorescent lamps which also produced UV-A radiation (315–400 nm). Saplings were also exposed to UV-A radiation alone under control arrays of polyester-filtered lamps and to ambient levels of solar radiation under arrays of unenergized lamps. The UV-B treatment corresponded to a 30% elevation above the ambient level of erythemally weighted UV-B radiation. Sapling growth and the occurrence of associated organisms were examined over two years. In both years, leaves of saplings exposed to UV-B treatment were thicker and smaller in area relative to leaves exposed to ambient and control levels of radiation. UV-B treatment also retarded bud burst at one sampling in the first year of the study. Some responses were recorded which were common to both treatment and control arrays, implying that UV-A radiation, or some other factor associated with energized lamps, was responsible for the observed effects. Saplings under treatment and control arrays were taller in the first year of the study, suffered greater herbivory from chewing insects, and had lower root dry weights and greater insertion heights of secondary branches than saplings exposed to ambient levels of radiation. Exposure of saplings to elevated UV-A radiation alone under control arrays increased estimated leaf volumes in the second year of the study and reduced the number of secondary branches and the total number of branches per sapling after two years, relative to both treatment and ambient arrays. There were no effects of elevated ultraviolet radiation on shoot or total plant weight, root/shoot ratios, stem diameter, the numbers or insertion heights of primary or tertiary branches, total leaf number, timing of leaf fall or frequency of ectomycorrhizas. Our study suggests that any increases in UV-B radiation as a result of stratospheric ozone depletion will influence the growth of Q. robur primarily through effects on leaf morphology.

Notes: Atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) and temperature are likely to increase in the future and may change plant growth and composition characteristics. Rhizoma peanut (Arachis glabrata Benth.) and bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) were grown on a natural field soil in temperature-gradient greenhouses to evaluate the effects of elevated [CO2] and temperature on tissue composition and digestibility during the establishment year. Carbon dioxide levels were maintained at 365 (ambient) and 640 μL CO2 L–1 air. The temperature-gradient greenhouses were regulated to obtain air temperature sectors of 0.2, 1.5, 2.9, and 4.5 °C above ambient. Samples were taken of previously undefoliated herbage at 57, 86, 121, 148, and 217 days after planting and entire plots were harvested at 218 days after planting. Elevated [CO2] increased total nonstructural carbohydrate concentration in rhizoma peanut leaves by almost 50%. Rhizoma peanut leaf N concentration was 6% lower at elevated than at ambient [CO2]. The N concentration in new rhizomes of rhizoma peanut was increased by high [CO2], while the N concentration in bahiagrass was not affected by temperature or [CO2]. No effects of [CO2] and temperature were found on neutral detergent fibre in rhizoma peanut leaves or stems; however, elevated [CO2] increased neutral detergent fibre in bahiagrass leaves. Only at season end was in vitro organic matter digestion of rhizoma peanut higher at ambient (623 g kg–1) than at elevated [CO2] (609 g kg–1). Elevated [CO2] had a greater effect on tissue composition of rhizoma peanut than of bahiagrass. These data suggest that elevated temperature and CO2-induced changes in chemical composition of forage species adapted to humid subtropics will be relatively small, particularly for C4 species.

Notes: The distribution of assimilated carbon among the plant parts has a profound effect on plant growth, and at a larger scale, on terrestrial biogeochemistry. Although important progress has been made in modelling photosynthesis, less effort has been spent on understanding the carbon allocation, especially at large spatial scales. Whereas several individual-level models of plant growth include an allocation scheme, most global terrestrial models still assume constant allocation of net primary production (NPP) among plant parts, without any environmental coupling. Here, we use the CASA biosphere model as a platform for exploring a new global allocation scheme that estimates allocation of photosynthesis products among leaves, stems, and roots depending on resource availability. The philosophy underlying the model is that allocation patterns result from evolved responses that adjust carbon investments to facilitate capture of the most limiting resources, i.e. light, water, and mineral nitrogen. In addition, we allow allocation of NPP to vary in response to changes in atmospheric CO2. The relative magnitudes of changes in NPP and resource-use efficiency control the response of root:shoot allocation. For ambient CO2, the model produces realistic changes in above-ground allocation along productivity gradients. In comparison to the CASA standard estimate using fixed allocation ratios, the new allocation scheme tends to favour root allocation, leading to a 10% lower global biomass. Elevated CO2, which alters the balance between growth and available resources, generally leads to reduced water stress and consequently, decreased root:shoot ratio. The major exception is forest ecosystems, where increased nitrogen stress induces a larger root allocation.

Notes: The alteration of climate is driven not only by anthropogenic activities, but also by biosphere processes that change in conjunction with climate. Emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from vegetation may be particularly sensitive to changes in climate and may play an important role in climate forcing through their influence on the atmospheric oxidative balance, greenhouse gas concentration, and the formation of aerosols. Using the VEMAP vegetation database and associated vegetation responses to climate change, this study examined the independent and combined effects of simulated changes in temperature, CO2 concentration, and vegetation distribution on annual emissions of isoprene, monoterpenes, and other reactive VOCs (ORVOCs) from potential vegetation of the continental United States. Temperature effects were modelled according to the direct influence of temperature on enzymatic isoprene production and the vapour pressure of monoterpenes and ORVOCs. The effect of elevated CO2 concentration was modelled according to increases in foliar biomass per unit of emitting surface area. The effects of vegetation distribution reflects simulated changes in species spatial distribution and areal coverage by 21 different vegetation classes. Simulated climate warming associated with a doubled atmospheric CO2 concentration enhanced total modelled VOC emission by 81.8% (isoprene + 82.1%, monoterpenes + 81.6%, ORVOC + 81.1%), whereas a simulated doubled CO2 alone enhanced total modelled VOC emission by only + 11.8% (isoprene + 13.7%, monoterpenes + 4.1%, ORVOC + 11.7%). A simulated redistribution of vegetation in response to altered temperatures and precipitation patterns caused total modelled VOC emission to decline by 10.4% (isoprene – 11.7%, monoterpenes – 18.6%, ORVOC 0.0%) driven by a decline in area covered by vegetation classes emitting VOCs at high rates. Thus, the positive effect of leaf-level adjustments to elevated CO2 (i.e. increases in foliar biomass) is balanced by the negative effect of ecosystem-level adjustments to climate (i.e. decreases in areal coverage of species emitting VOC at high rates).

Notes: Young Scots pine trees naturally established at a pine heath were exposed to two concentrations of CO2 (ambient and doubled ambient) and two O3 regimes (ambient and doubled ambient) and their combination in open-top field chambers during growing seasons 1994, 1995 and 1996 (late May to 15 September). Filtered ozone treatment and chamberless control trees were also included in the treatment comparisons. Root ingrowth cores were inserted to the undisturbed soil below the branch projection of each tree at the beginning of the fumigation period in 1994 and were harvested at the end of the fumigation periods in 1995 and 1996. Root biomasses were determined from different soil layers in the ingrowth cores, and the infection levels of different mycorrhizal types were calculated. Elevated O3 and CO2 did not have significant effects on the biomass production of Scots pine coarse (Ø 〉 2 mm) or fine roots (Ø 〈 2 mm) and roots of grasses and dwarf shrubs. Elevated O3 caused a transient stimulation, observable in 1995, in the proportion of tuber-like mycorrhizas, total mycorrhizas and total short roots but this stimulation disappeared during the last study year. Elevated CO2 did not enhance carbon allocation to root growth or mycorrhiza formation, although a diminishing trend in the mycorrhiza formation was observed. In the combination treatment increased CO2 inhibited the transient stimulating effect of ozone, and a significant increase of old mycorrhizas was observed. Our conclusion is that doubled CO2 is not able to increase carbon allocation to growth of fine roots or mycorrhizas in nutrient poor forest sites and realistically elevated ozone does not cause a measurable limitation to roots within a period of three exposure years.

Notes: Arid and semiarid climates comprise roughly 40% of the earth’s terrestrial surface. Deserts are predicted to be extremely responsive to global change because they are stressful environments where small absolute changes in water availability or use represent large proportional changes. Water and carbon dioxide fluxes are inherently coupled in plant growth. No documented global change has been more substantial or more rapid than the increase in atmospheric CO2. Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) technology permits manipulation of CO2 in intact communities without altering factors such as light intensity or quality, humidity or wind. The Nevada Desert FACE Facility (NDFF) consists of three 491 m2 plots in the Mojave Desert receiving 550 μL L–1 CO2, and six ambient plots to assess both CO2 and fan effects. The shrub community was characterized as a Larrea–Ambrosia–Lycium species complex. Data are reported through 12 months of operation.

Notes: We report changes in nitrogen cycling in Florida scrub oak in response to elevated atmospheric CO2 during the first 14 months of experimental treatment. Elevated CO2 stimulated above-ground growth, nitrogen mass, and root nodule production of the nitrogen-fixing vine, Galactia elliottii Nuttall. During this period, elevated CO2 reduced rates of gross nitrogen mineralization in soil, and resulted in lower recovery of nitrate on resin lysimeters. Elevated CO2 did not alter nitrogen in the soil microbial biomass, but increased the specific rate of ammonium immobilization (NH4+ immobilized per unit microbial N) measured over a 24-h period. Increased carbon input to soil through greater root growth combined with a decrease in the quality of that carbon in elevated CO2 best explains these changes. These results demonstrate that atmospheric CO2 concentration influences both the internal cycling of nitrogen (mineralization, immobilization, and nitrification) as well as the processes that regulate total ecosystem nitrogen mass (nitrogen fixation and nitrate leaching) in Florida coastal scrub oak. If these changes in nitrogen cycling are sustained, they could cause long-term feedbacks to the growth responses of plants to elevated CO2. Greater nitrogen fixation and reduced leaching could stimulate nitrogen-limited plant growth by increasing the mass of labile nitrogen in the ecosystem. By contrast, reduced nitrogen mineralization and increased immobilization will restrict the supply rate of plant-available nitrogen, potentially reducing plant growth. Thus, the net feedback to plant growth will depend on the balance of these effects through time.

Notes: The role of acclimation of dark respiration to temperature and CO2 concentration and its relationship to growth are critical in determining plant response to predicted global change. We explored temperature acclimation of respiration in seedlings of tree species of the North American boreal forest. Populus tremuloides, Betula papyrifera, Larix laricina, Pinus banksiana, and Picea mariana plants were grown from seed in controlled-environments at current and elevated concentrations of CO2 (370 and 580 μmol mol–1) in combination with three temperature treatments of 18/12, 24/18, and 30/24 °C (light/dark period). Specific respiration rates of roots and shoots acclimated to temperature, damping increases in rates across growth-temperature environments compared to short-term temperature responses. Compared at a standard temperature, root and shoot respiration rates were, on average, 40% lower in plants grown at the highest compared to lowest growth temperature. Broad-leaved species had a lower degree of temperature acclimation of respiration than did the conifers. Among species and treatment combinations, rates of respiration were linearly related to size and relative growth rate, and relationships were comparable among growth environments. Specific respiration rates and whole-plant respiratory CO2 efflux as a proportion of daily net CO2 uptake increased at higher growth temperatures, but were minimally affected by CO2 concentration. Whole-plant specific respiration rates were two to three times higher in broad-leaved than coniferous species. However, compared to faster-growing broad-leaved species, slower-growing conifers lost a larger proportion of net daily CO2 uptake as respiratory CO2 efflux, especially in roots. Interspecific variation in acclimation responses of dark respiration to temperature is more important than acclimation of respiration to CO2 enrichment in modifying tree seedling growth responses to projected increases in CO2 concentration and temperature.

Notes: An open-air experiment was performed in Pistoia (Italy) to investigate the possible protective role played by different contents of UV-B absorbing compounds to realistic UV-B supplementation and to study its effect on plant fruit production. A mutant line and its normal counterpart of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, which differ in the content of UV-B absorbing compounds, were used. Additional UV-B radiation in the field was supplied to simulate a 20% stratospheric ozone depletion. Two groups of plants were grown: ‘control’, where plants received only natural solar UV-B radiation, and ‘UV-B’ treatment, where plants were grown under supplemental UV-B. The results of the experiment showed that the content of UV-B absorbing compounds of treated plants did not differ from that of the control in both lines. This indicates that natural sunlight, in Mediterranean areas, is saturating for synthesis of these compounds also in plants with normal content of UV-B absorbing compounds. Consequently, plants are not able to produce significant additional amounts of them, in response to a realistic UV-B supplementation, in order to protect the plant from additional UV-B radiation. No different responses to the UV-B supplementation were found between the two lines. The most significant UV-B effect was an earlier reddening of fruits in comparison with the ‘control’ accompanied by a reduction in the size of mature fruits. No significant effects of UV-B treatment were observed in biomass accumulation, leaf ontogeny, flowering or productivity.

Notes: It was hypothesized that high CO2 availability would increase monoterpene emission to the atmosphere. This hypothesis was based on resource allocation theory which predicts increased production of plant secondary compounds when carbon is in excess of that required for growth. Monoterpene emission rates were measured from needles of (a) Ponderosa pine grown at different CO2 concentrations and soil nitrogen levels, and (b) Douglas fir grown at different CO2 concentrations. Ponderosa pine grown at 700 μmol mol–1 CO2 exhibited increased photosynthetic rates and needle starch to nitrogen (N) ratios when compared to trees grown at 350 μmol mol–1 CO2. Nitrogen availability had no consistent effect on photosynthesis. Douglas fir grown at 550 μmol mol–1 CO2 exhibited increased photosynthetic rates as compared to growth at 350 μmol mol–1 CO2 in old, but not young needles, and there was no influence on the starch/N ratio. In neither species was there a significant effect of elevated growth CO2 on needle monoterpene concentration or emission rate. The influence of climate warming and leaf area index (LAI) on monoterpene emission were also investigated. Douglas fir grown at elevated CO2 plus a 4 °C increase in growth temperature exhibited no change in needle monoterpene concentration, despite a predicted 50% increase in emission rate. At elevated CO2 concentration the LAI increased in Ponderosa pine, but not Douglas fir. The combination of increased LAI and climate warming are predicted to cause an 80% increase in monoterpene emissions from Ponderosa pine forests and a 50% increase in emissions from Douglas fir forests. This study demonstrates that although growth at elevated CO2 may not affect the rate of monoterpene emission per unit biomass, the effect of elevated CO2 on LAI, and the effect of climate warming on monoterpene biosynthesis and volatilization, could increase canopy monoterpene emission rate.

Notes: Soil and ecosystem trace gas fluxes are commonly measured using the dynamic chamber technique. Although the chamber pressure anomalies associated with this method are known to be a source of error, their effects have not been fully characterized. In this study, we use results from soil gas-exchange experiments and a soil CO2 transport model to characterize the effects of chamber pressure on soil CO2 efflux in an annual California grassland. For greater than ambient chamber pressures, experimental data show that soil-surface CO2 flux decreases as a nonlinear function of increasing chamber pressure; this decrease is larger for drier soils. In dry soil, a gauge pressure of 0.5 Pa reduced the measured soil CO2 efflux by roughly 70% relative to the control measurement at ambient pressure. Results from the soil CO2 transport model show that pressurizing the flux chamber above ambient pressure effectively flushes CO2 from the soil by generating a downward flow of air through the soil air-filled pore space. This advective flow of air reduces the CO2 concentration gradient across the soil–atmosphere interface, resulting in a smaller diffusive flux into the chamber head space. Simulations also show that the reduction in diffusive flux is a function of chamber pressure, soil moisture, soil texture, the depth distribution of soil CO2 generation, and chamber diameter. These results highlight the need for caution in the interpretation of dynamic chamber trace gas flux measurements. A portion of the frequently observed increase in net ecosystem carbon uptake under elevated CO2 may be an artifact resulting from the impact of chamber pressurization on soil CO2 efflux.

Notes: A free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) system was designed to permit the experimental exposure of tall vegetation such as stands of forest trees to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations ([CO2]a) without enclosures that alter tree microenvironment. We describe a prototype FACE system currently in operation in forest plots in a maturing loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stand in North Carolina, USA. The system uses feedback control technology to control [CO2] in a 26 m diameter forest plot that is over 10 m tall, while monitoring the 3D plot volume to characterize the whole-stand CO2 regime achieved during enrichment. In the second summer season of operation of the FACE system, atmospheric CO2 enrichment was conducted in the forest during all daylight hours for 96.7% of the scheduled running time from 23 May to 14 October with a preset target [CO2] of 550 μmol mol–1, ≈ 200 μmol mol–1 above ambient [CO2]. The system provided spatial and temporal control of [CO2] similar to that reported for open-top chambers over trees, but without enclosing the vegetation. The daily average daytime [CO2] within the upper forest canopy at the centre of the FACE plot was 552 ± 9 μmol mol–1 (mean ± SD). The FACE system maintained 1-minute average [CO2] to within ± 110 μmol mol–1 of the target [CO2] for 92% of the operating time. Deviations of [CO2] outside of this range were short-lived (most lasting 〈 60 s) and rare, with fewer than 4 excursion events of a minute or longer per day. Acceptable spatial control of [CO2] by the system was achieved, with over 90% of the entire canopy volume within ± 10% of the target [CO2] over the exposure season. CO2 consumption by the FACE system was much higher than for open-top chambers on an absolute basis, but similar to that of open-top chambers and branch bag chambers on a per unit volume basis. CO2 consumption by the FACE system was strongly related to windspeed, averaging 50 g CO2 m–3 h–1 for the stand for an average windspeed of 1.5 m s–1 during summer. The [CO2] control results show that the free-air approach is a tractable way to study long-term and short-term alterations in trace gases, even within entire tall forest ecosystems. The FACE approach permits the study of a wide range of forest stand and ecosystem processes under manipulated [CO2]a that were previously impossible or intractable to study in true forest ecosystems.

Notes: Hydrologists and ecologists studying tundra ecosystems have worked largely independently, with little cross-fertilization between disciplines. Their disciplines are, however, inextricably linked by a need to understand the dynamics and significance of the common substance water, in its liquid, solid and gaseous state within tundra environments. The impacts of predicted long-term changes in climate have particularly important consequences for the functioning of tundra systems and there is a pressing need to initiate studies that integrate hydrological and ecological methodologies and concepts. Our paper attempts to summarize existing information on the role of water within tundra ecosystems, to emphasize the fundamental links between the biotic and the physico/chemical environments and to suggest how a closer integration of ideas might be achieved. Given the breadth of the subject matter the paper is intended to be illustrative rather than comprehensive. The paper examines the physical impacts of water in its various states on the tundra environment, emphasizing in particular the causes of spatial variation in water availability to living organisms. The significance of water is discussed for a range of organism groups, including plants, invertebrates and microorganisms and its pivotal role in ecosystem function and disturbance stressed. The need to develop integrated hydological/ecological models for tundra systems on different spatial scales is emphasized.

Notes: Plantago lanceolata and Trifolium repens were grown under ambient (400 μmol mol–1) and elevated (650 μmol mol–1) atmospheric CO2 conditions. Plants were inoculated with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae and given a phosphorus supply in the form of bonemeal. Six sequential harvests were taken in order to determine whether the effect of elevated CO2 on internal mycorrhizal colonization and external hyphal production was independent of the stimulatory effect of elevated CO2 on plant growth. At a given time, elevated CO2 increased the percentage of root length colonized (RLC), the total length of colonized root and the external mycorrhizal hyphal (EMH) density and decreased the ratio of EMH to total length of colonized root. When plant size was taken into account, the CO2 effect on RLC and total length of colonized root was greatly reduced (and only apparent for early harvests in T. repens) and the effects on the EMH parameters disappeared. Root tissue P concentration was unchanged at elevated CO2, but there was a decrease in shoot P at the later harvests. There was no direct effect of elevated CO2 on P inflow for the earlier period (〈 50 d) of the experiment. However, over the last period, there was a significant negative effect of elevated CO2 on P inflow for both species, independent of plant size. It is concluded that elevated CO2 had no direct effect on mycorrhizal colonization or external hyphal production, and that any observed effects on a time basis were due to faster growing plants at elevated CO2. However, for older plants, elevated CO2 had a direct negative effect on P inflow. This decrease in P inflow coincides with the observed decrease in shoot P concentration. This is discussed in terms of downregulation of photosynthesis often seen in elevated CO2 grown plants, and the potential for mycorrhizas (via external hyphal turnover) to alleviate the phenomenon. The direction for future research is highlighted, especially in relation to carbon flow to and storage in the soil.

Notes: Estimation of leaf photosynthetic rate (A) from leaf nitrogen content (N) is both conceptually and numerically important in models of plant, ecosystem, and biosphere responses to global change. The relationship between A and N has been studied extensively at ambient CO2 but much less at elevated CO2. This study was designed to (i) assess whether the A–N relationship was more similar for species within than between community and vegetation types, and (ii) examine how growth at elevated CO2 affects the A–N relationship. Data were obtained for 39 C3 species grown at ambient CO2 and 10 C3 species grown at ambient and elevated CO2. A regression model was applied to each species as well as to species pooled within different community and vegetation types. Cluster analysis of the regression coefficients indicated that species measured at ambient CO2 did not separate into distinct groups matching community or vegetation type. Instead, most community and vegetation types shared the same general parameter space for regression coefficients. Growth at elevated CO2 increased photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency for pines and deciduous trees. When species were pooled by vegetation type, the A–N relationship for deciduous trees expressed on a leaf-mass basis was not altered by elevated CO2, while the intercept increased for pines. When regression coefficients were averaged to give mean responses for different vegetation types, elevated CO2 increased the intercept and the slope for deciduous trees but increased only the intercept for pines. There were no statistical differences between the pines and deciduous trees for the effect of CO2. Generalizations about the effect of elevated CO2 on the A–N relationship, and differences between pines and deciduous trees will be enhanced as more data become available.

Notes: Although numerous studies indicate that increasing atmospheric CO2 or temperature stimulate soil CO2 efflux, few data are available on the responses of three major components of soil respiration [i.e. rhizosphere respiration (root and root exudates), litter decomposition, and oxidation of soil organic matter] to different CO2 and temperature conditions. In this study, we applied a dual stable isotope approach to investigate the impact of elevated CO2 and elevated temperature on these components of soil CO2 efflux in Douglas-fir terracosms. We measured both soil CO2 efflux rates and the 13C and 18O isotopic compositions of soil CO2 efflux in 12 sun-lit and environmentally controlled terracosms with 4-year-old Douglas fir seedlings and reconstructed forest soils under two CO2 concentrations (ambient and 200 ppmv above ambient) and two air temperature regimes (ambient and 4 °C above ambient). The stable isotope data were used to estimate the relative contributions of different components to the overall soil CO2 efflux. In most cases, litter decomposition was the dominant component of soil CO2 efflux in this system, followed by rhizosphere respiration and soil organic matter oxidation. Both elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration and elevated temperature stimulated rhizosphere respiration and litter decomposition. The oxidation of soil organic matter was stimulated only by increasing temperature. Release of newly fixed carbon as root respiration was the most responsive to elevated CO2, while soil organic matter decomposition was most responsive to increasing temperature. Although some assumptions associated with this new method need to be further validated, application of this dual-isotope approach can provide new insights into the responses of soil carbon dynamics in forest ecosystems to future climate changes.

Notes: The performance of fifth generation offspring of a desert annual (Dimorphotheca sinuata DC.) were compared in the absence of UV-B, under variable atmospheric CO2 and nutrient supply, after four consecutive generations of concurrent exposure of their progenitors to UV-B at ambient (seasonal range: 2.55–8.85 kJ m–2 d–1) and enhanced (seasonal range: 4.70–11.41 kJ m–2 d–1) levels. Offspring of progenitors grown under elevated UV-B exhibited a diminished photosynthetic rate, a consequence of a reduced leaf density, and diminished foliar levels of carotenoids, polyphenolics and anthocyanins. Conversely, nonstructural carbohydrate and chlorophyll b levels were increased. Altered physiology was accompanied by reduced apical dominance and earlier flowering, features generally considered under photomorphogenic control, increased branching and inflorescence production and greater partitioning of biomass to reproductive structures, but diminished seed production. Many of these changes were magnified under nutrient limitation and intensified under atmospheric CO2 enriched conditions. The latter disagrees with current opinion that elevated CO2 may reduce detrimental UV-B effects, at least over the long-term. Observed correlations between seed production and polyphenolic, especially anthocyanin, levels in offspring, and indications of diminished lignification (thinner leaves, less robust stems and fewer lignified seeds set) all pointed to the involvement of the phenylpropanoid pathway in seed formation and plant structural development and its disruption during long-term UV-B exposure. Comparisons with earlier generations revealed trends with cumulative generations of enhanced UV-B exposure of increasing chlorophyll b and nonstructural carbohydrates, decreasing polyphenolics and biomass allocation to vegetative structures, and diminishing seed production despite increasing biomass allocation to reproductive structures. Notwithstanding some physiological compensation (increased chlorophyll b), the accumulation and persistence of these ostensibly inherited changes in physiological and reproductive performance suggest a greater impact of elevated UV-B on vegetation, primary production and regeneration over the long-term than presently envisaged.

Notes: The analysis of carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) in crop plant remains from archaeological sites may help to assess water availability for early agriculture. This study presents the analysis of Δ in seeds of naked wheat (Triticum aestivum/durum), lentil (Lens orientalis/culinaris), and flax (Linum sp.) found at the archaeological site of Tell Halula in the valley of the Middle Euphrates (Syria). This Neolithic site is the oldest in this region of the Fertile Crescent where the cultivation of domesticated plants has been reported, with seed remains ranging from 9550 to 8465 BP. Most of the seeds analysed showed Δ values greater than 16 ‰, reaching 20 ‰ for some samples of flax. For wheat, Δ values were much higher than those reported in present-day (1996) durum wheat crops cultivated under rainfed conditions in north-west Syria under environments with somewhat higher rainfall than Tell Halula. Similarly, grains of present-day (1997) barley cultivated in the archaeological site also showed lower values than those found in archaeological kernels. An empirical relationship between Δ of mature kernels and total precipitation (plus irrigation where applicable) from heading to maturity (r2 = 0.82, n = 11) was established for durum wheat, currently cultivated in different environments of the Mediterranean basin. The resulting relationship was applied to the data on Δ of wheat fossil kernels from Tell Halula to estimate the accumulated water inputs during the time (about 6 weeks) the kernels were produced. Calculated water inputs for wheat during early agriculture were (over 110 mm) at least 5 times higher than current-day rainfall accumulated in Tell Halula during the same phenological period. These results strongly suggest that early agriculture wheat was cultivated at Tell Halula under much wetter conditions than are currently to be found in the area. The presence of flax and its very high Δ values also support this conclusion. Whether such humid conditions during cultivation were due to moister conditions prevailing at this time, by planting in alluvial areas or by irrigation works is discussed.

Notes: This paper reviews two decades of effort by the scientific community in a search for predictive understanding of plant responses to elevated [CO2]. To evaluate the progress of research in leaf photosynthesis, plant respiration, root nutrient uptake, and carbon partitioning, we divided scientific activities into four phases: (I) initial assessments derived from our existing knowledge base to provide frameworks for experimental studies; (II) experimental tests of the initial assessments; (III) in cases where assessments were invalidated, synthesis of experimental results to stimulate alternative hypotheses and further experimentation; and (IV) formation of new knowledge. This paper suggests that photosynthetic research may have gone through all four phases, considering that (a) variable responses of photosynthesis to [CO2] are generally explainable, (b) extrapolation of leaf-level studies to the global scale has been examined, and (c) molecular studies are under way. Investigation of plant respiratory responses to [CO2] has reached the third phase: experimental results have been accumulated, and mechanistic approaches are being developed to examine alternative hypotheses in search for new concepts and/or new quantitative frameworks to understand respiratory responses to elevated [CO2]. The study of nutrient uptake kinetics is still in the second phase: experimental evidence has contradicted some of the initial assessments, and more experimental studies need to be designed before generalizations can be made. It is quite unfortunate that we have not made much progress in understanding mechanisms of carbon partitioning during the past two decades. This is due in part to the fact that some of the holistic theories, such as functional balance and optimality, have not evolved into testable hypotheses to guide experimental studies. This paper urges modelers to play an increasing role in plant–CO2 research by disassembling these existing theories into hypotheses and urges experimentalists to design experiments to examine these holistic concepts.

Notes: Climatic change is predicted to alter rates of soil respiration and assimilation of carbon by plants. Net loss of carbon from ecosystems would form a positive feedback enhancing anthropogenic global warming. We tested the effect of increased heat input, one of the most certain impacts of global warming, on net ecosystem carbon exchange in a Rocky Mountain montane meadow. Overhead heaters were used to increase the radiative heat flux into plots spanning a moisture and vegetation gradient. We measured net whole-ecosystem CO2 fluxes using a closed-path chamber system, relatively nondisturbing bases, and a simple model to compensate for both slow chamber leaks and the CO2 concentration-dependence of photosynthetic uptake, in 1993 and 1994. In 1994, we also measured soil respiration separately. The heating treatment altered the timing and magnitude of net carbon fluxes into the dry zone of the plots in 1993 (reducing uptake by ≈100 g carbon m–2), but had an undetectable effect on carbon fluxes into the moist zone. During a strong drought year (1994), heating altered the timing, but did not significantly alter the cumulative magnitude, of net carbon uptake in the dry zone. Soil respiration measurements showed that when differences were detected in dry zone carbon fluxes, they were caused by changes in carbon input from photosynthesis, not by temperature-driven changes in carbon output from soil respiration. When differences were detected in dry-zone carbon fluxes, they were caused by changes in carbon input from photosynthesis, not by a temperature-driven changes in carbon output from soil respiration. Regression analysis suggested that the reduction in carbon inputs from plants was due to a combination of two soil moisture effects: a direct physiological response to decreased soil moisture, and a shift in plant community composition from high-productivity species to low-productivity species that are more drought tolerant. These results partially support predictions that warming may cause net carbon losses from some terrestrial ecosystems. They also suggest, however, that changes in soil moisture caused by global warming may be as important in driving ecosystem response as the direct effects of increased soil temperature.

Notes: The effect of the water table on nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes from peat profiles representing boreal peatlands of differing nutrient status was studied in the laboratory. Lowering of the water table in peat monoliths taken from two natural waterlogged peatlands for 14 weeks in a greenhouse at 20 °C increased the fluxes of N2O, an effect that was enhanced further by incubation in the dark. Raising of the water table in monoliths from two drained and forested peatlands caused cessation of the N2O fluxes from the drained peats, which had previously been sources of N2O. It is known that N2O fluxes have increased in peatlands drained several decades ago. The results suggest that it is not necessary for the water table to be lowered for several years to change a boreal peatland from a N2O sink to a source of the gas. In addition to the draining of peatlands, climate change can be expected to lower ground water levels during the summertime in the boreal zone, and this could cause marked changes in N2O fluxes from boreal peatlands by enhancing the microbial processes involved in nitrogen transformations.

Notes: Microcosms of Danthonia richardsonii (Cashmore) accumulated more carbon when grown under CO2 enrichment (719 μL L–1 cf. 359 μL L–1) over a four-year period, even when nitrogen availability severely restricted productivity (enhancement ratios for total microcosm C accumulation of 1.21, 1.14 and 1.29 for mineral N supplies of 2.2, 6.7 and 19.8 g N m–2 y–1, respectively). The effect of CO2 enrichment on total system carbon content did not diminish with time. Increased carbon accumulation occurred despite the development over time of a lower leaf area index and less carbon in the green leaf fraction at high CO2. The extra carbon accumulated at high CO2 in the soil, senesced leaf and leaf litter fractions at all N levels, and in root at high-N, while at low-and mid-N less carbon accumulated in the root fraction at high CO2. The rate of leaf turnover was increased under CO2 enrichment, as indicated by increases in the carbon mass ratio of senesced to green leaf lamina. Microcosm evapotranspiration rates were lower at high CO2 when water was in abundant supply, resulting in higher average soil water contents. The higher soil water contents at high CO2 have important implications for microcosm function, and may have contributed significantly to the increased carbon accumulation at high CO2. These results indicate that CO2 enrichment can increase carbon accumulation by a simple soil–plant system, and that any increase in whole system carbon accumulation may not be evident from snapshot measurements of live plant carbon.

Notes: An asynchronously coupled global atmosphere–biome model is used to assess the stability of the atmosphere–vegetation system under present-day conditions of solar irradiation and sea-surface temperatures. When initialized with different land-surface conditions (1, the continents, except for regions of inland ice, completely covered with forest; 2, with grassland; 3, with (dark) desert; and 4, with (bright) sand desert), the atmosphere–biome model finds two equilibrium solutions: the first solution yields the present-day distribution of subtropical deserts, the second reveals a moister climate in North Africa and Central East Asia and thereby a northward shift of vegetation particularly in the south-western Sahara. The first solution is obtained with initial condition 4, and the second with 1, 2, 3. When comparing these results with an earlier study of biogeophysical feedback in the African and Asian monsoon area, it can be concluded that North Africa is probably the region on Earth which is most sensitive considering bifurcations of the atmosphere–vegetation system at the global scale.

Notes: Eddy-covariance measurements of CO2 exchange above a Sahelian savanna consisting of small shrubs over a near-continuous herb layer were made during the HAPEX-Sahel experiment in Niger, West Africa. The measurements were made near-continuously during an 8-week period, covering the main part of the rainy season and three weeks at the beginning of the dry season. The measurements were corrected for in-canopy storage of CO2 and the night-time measurements used to derive respiration functions for the soil, roots and above-ground plant material. Photosynthetic CO2 uptake was estimated and compared to simulations using a biochemical photosynthesis model in a simple, ‘big-leaf’, implementation. The model satisfactorily reproduced the measurements (coefficient of determination 0.80) using parameters defined from the literature and based on soil nutrient concentrations. When the quantum yield (α) and rubisco capacity (Vmr) were fitted to the data with allowance for physiological changes through the season, an excellent agreement between model and measurements was obtained (coefficient of determination 0.93, RMS error 1.46 μmol m–2 s–1).The fitted photosynthesis and respiration model was used to estimate the carbon balance of the savanna site during the growing season of 1992 and for the complete calendar year. Harvest estimates of net plant biomass accumulation during the growing season and annual wood accumulation agreed well with modelled net photosynthesis and annual net carbon accumulation, respectively. Peak instantaneous ecosystem CO2 uptake was comparable to peak values observed in other biomes, but annual photosynthesis and carbon sequestration were considerably lower than observed elsewhere.

Notes: We studied the effects on the phenology, growth and reproduction of 19 Mediterranean species, of elevating the atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) to twice-ambient. Intact monoliths were taken from an old-field and put, during a six month growing season, into growth chambers in which external climatic conditions were mimicked and [CO2] was regulated. Fruit set time was significantly changed in six species under elevated [CO2] and leaf and branch senescence accelerated in most species. Grasses had fewer leaves and legumes were more branched at peak production under elevated [CO2] than under ambient. Plant seed number was not significantly changed under elevated [CO2], whereas the reproductive effort of grasses was significantly depressed. Reproductive and vegetative characteristics showed related responses to [CO2], as species with enhanced biomass had a hastened fruit set time, a higher number of fruits per plant and a higher reproductive biomass under elevated [CO2] than under ambient conditions, while species with depressed biomass had a delayed fruit set time, a lower number of fruits per plant and a lower reproductive biomass. Our results also show a high interspecific variability in [CO2] response, but some trends emerged at the family level: the production of vegetative and reproductive modules were depressed in grasses and slightly stimulated in legumes.

Notes: We explored, using computer simulations, the sensitivity of four mammal species (elk, Cervus canadensis; white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus; Columbian ground squirrel, Spermophilus columbianus; and chipmunk, Tamias striatus) within the continental USA to the effect of anticipated levels of global climate change brought about by a doubling of atmospheric CO2. Sensitivity to the direct effects of climate change were evaluated using a climate-space approach to delineate the range of thermal conditions tolerable by each species. Sensitivity to indirect effects were evaluated by quantifying the association of each species to the current vegetation distribution within the continental USA and using this association to assess whether wildlife species distributions might shift in response to vegetation shifts under climate change. Results indicate that altered thermal conditions alone should have little or no effect on the wildlife species’ distributions as physiological tolerance to heat load would allow them to survive. Analyses of the effects of vegetation change indicate that deer and chipmunks should retain their current distributions and possibly expand westward in the USA. For Elk and ground squirrels, there is a possibility that their current distributions would shrink and there is little possibility that each species would spread to new regions. This work emphasizes that the distributions of the four mammalian species are likely to be influenced more by vegetation changes than by thermal conditions. Future efforts to understand the effects of global change on wildlife species should focus on animal–habitat and climate–vegetation linkages.

Notes: Measurements focused on seasonal contribution of rice productivity to methane emission were made in three experiments conducted in Texas flooded paddy soils during 1994 and 1995 growing seasons. A total of five rice cultivars representing two distinct groups in methane emission were involved. Over a 10-week period after permanent flooding, total seasonal methane emission was positively correlated with rice above-ground biomass (r2 = 0.845, n = 11). A very strong dependence of daily methane emission on above-ground vegetative biomass (r2 = 0.887, n = 93) and on root biomass (r2 = 0.816, n = 33) was also observed. Calculation from three developmental periods (vegetative, reproductive and ripening) of rice plant indicated that more than 75% of total seasonal methane was emitted during the last 5-week period in concert with reproductive and ripening stages, while rice biomass production during the same period amounted to ≈ 50% of the seasonal total. According to the correlation of cumulative methane emission with above-ground biomass increment between every two-week interval (r2 = 0.490, n = 93, P = 0.000), the carbon released as methane is approximately equivalent to 3% and 4.5% of photosynthetically fixed carbon in the biomass for low and high emission cultivars, respectively. A further investigation showed that these fractions are related to plant growth and development. The carbon ratio of methane emitted to net photosynthetic production during vegetative, reproductive, and ripening periods averaged 0.9%, 3.6% and 7.9%, respectively, for low emission cultivars, and 2.0%, 5.0% and 8.3%, respectively, for high emission cultivars. Moreover, the ratio was strongly dependent on plant biomass, resulting inr2 values from 0.775 to 0.907.

Notes: Increasing global atmospheric CO2 concentration has led to concerns regarding its potential effects on the terrestrial environment. Attempts to balance the atmospheric carbon (C) budget have met with a large shortfall in C accounting (≈1.4 × 1015 g C y–1) and this has led to the hypothesis that C is being stored in the soil of terrestrial ecosystems. This study examined the effects of CO2 enrichment on soil C storage in C3 soybean (Glycine max L.) Merr. and C4 grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) Moench. agro-ecosystems established on a Blanton loamy sand (loamy siliceous, thermic, Grossarenic Paleudults). The study was a split-plot design replicated three times with two crop species (soybean and grain sorghum) as the main plots and two CO2 concentration (ambient and twice ambient) as subplots using open top field chambers. Carbon isotopic techniques using δ13C were used to track the input of new C into the soil system. At the end of two years, shifts in δ13C content of soil organic matter carbon were observed to a depth of 30 cm. Calculated new C in soil organic matter with grain sorghum was greater for elevated CO2 vs. ambient CO2 (162 and 29 g m–2, respectively), but with soybean the new C in soil organic matter was less for elevated CO2 vs. ambient CO2 (120 and 291 g m–2, respectively). A significant increase in mineral associated organic C was observed in 1993 which may result in increased soil C storage over the long-term, however, little change in total soil organic C was observed under either plant species. These data indicate that elevated atmospheric CO2 resulted in changes in soil C dynamics in agro-ecosystems that are crop species dependent.

Notes: In future elevated CO2 environments, chewing insects are likely to perform less well than at present because of the effects of increased carbon fixation on their host plants. When the aphid, Aulacorthum solani was reared on bean (Vicia faba) and tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) plants under ambient and elevated CO2, performance was enhanced on both hosts at elevated CO2. The nature of the response was different on each plant species suggesting that feeding strategy may influence an insect’s response to elevated CO2. On bean, the daily rate of production of nymphs was increased by 16% but there was no difference in development time, whereas on tansy, development time was 10% shorter at elevated CO2 but the rate of production of nymphs was not affected. The same aphid clone therefore responded differently to elevated CO2 on different host plants. This increase in aphid performance could lead to larger populations of aphids in a future elevated CO2 environment.

Notes: Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) systems are used to fumigate unconfined field plots with CO2. As these installations can treat a sufficiently large area without interfering with natural climatic conditions, they are considered important tools for global change research worldwide. However, there is general consensus that elevated capital costs of existing FACE systems as well as high running costs may prevent their application at the required level of scale. A new and small FACE system that was designed to reduce both capital costs and CO2 use, is described in this paper. Due to its intermediate size (8 m diameter) between the smaller Mini-FACE systems that were developed in Italy and the larger systems designed by the Brookhaven National Laboratory in the USA, it was named Mid-FACE. The Mid-FACE was at first developed as a prototype and then used to enrich field grown potato crops in a CO2 concentration gradient experimental design. Technical details of a Mid-FACE prototype and of the operational set-up are presented in this paper together with performance data in terms of temporal and spatial control of CO2 concentrations within the experimental area.

Notes: The assessment of possible implications of anthropogenic climate change requires the evaluation of results obtained with complex climate models. Here we considered the problem of assessing the impact of climate variability on successional events in a lake (Plußsee) of the temperate region between January and May. We first established a statistical link between large-scale air temperature, at about 1500 m height, and the local temperature, in order to bridge the spatial gap of information obtained from global climate models and local climate which forces processes in the lake. Secondly, the local temperatures were statistically related to biologically induced dynamic features in the lake, derived from Secchi depths readings (as integrated measures). The observed relationships were compared with results from a phyto- and zooplankton population-dynamic model run under different temperature regimes. The local temperatures approximated closely the large-scale temperature. The timing of phyto- and zooplankton maxima (clearwater phase) were negatively related to the temperature. Thus, with a temperature increase both occurred earlier. The intensity of the spring algal maximum was negatively related to its timing, whereas no clear relation between the timing and intensity of the clearwater phase (zooplankton maximum) could be obtained.

Notes: Biomass estimates of primary and different ages of secondary vegetation are reported for a tropical forest region in Rondônia, Western Brazilian Amazon. The estimates are based on published allometric equations, and on vegetation composition and allometric data collected in areas of primary forest and secondary vegetation of ages 2, 3, 5, 9, 11, 16 and 18 years. Primary forest biomass estimates varied from 290 to 495 t ha–1. Secondary vegetation biomass estimates accounted for 40–60% of the primary forest biomass after 18 years of abandonment. Secondary growth rates in lightly used areas are estimated to have varied from 6.6 to 8.7 t ha–1 y–1 between the third and the eighteenth years after abandonment. CO2 sequestration by regrowing vegetation is discussed for two scenarios of land abandonment.

Notes: This manuscript presents an overview of published work on nitrous oxide in the permanently ice-covered lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. One of these lakes contains the highest concentration of nitrous oxide reported for natural aquatic systems (??bg 500 000% with respect to the global average mixing ratio in air). Recent data on nitrous oxide from the major lakes in this region of Antarctica are used to draw general conclusions regarding sources and sinks for this gas within the liquid water column, and to estimate exchanges with the atmosphere. Nitrous oxide maxima are usually found in regions where oxygen concentrations and redox potentials are decreasing (i.e. where high gradients exist); nitrous oxide is virtually absent in anoxic, and very low redox zones. These trends, together with positive relationships between apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) and apparent nitrous oxide production (ANP) indicate that nitrous oxide is primarily a product of nitrification; experiments showed that denitrification is a sink for this gas in anoxic water. ANP/AOU ratios are several orders of magnitude higher than that for the ocean. Yield ratios for nitrous oxide [ANP/(NO2–+NO3–)] averaged 4.2% (i.e. 1 atom of N appears in nitrous oxide for every 24 atoms appearing in oxidized N), greatly exceeding existing reports for pelagic systems, being similar to that from reduced sediments. Production and consumption rates, computed with a one-dimensional diffusion model, ranged from 0 to 5.3 nM-N d–1 and 0–2.7 nM-N d–1, respectively. Rates were usually greatest in the region of largest oxygen and inorganic nitrogen gradients. Turnover times averaged 2917 and 1277 years for production and consumption which is in the range of the mixing times for the lakes. Areal flux from the lakes to the atmosphere (6.17 gN m–2 y–1) is several hundred times greater than areal fluxes reported for oceanic systems. Owing to the relatively small combined surface area of these lakes, absolute atmospheric transfer (1.2 × 105 gN y–1) is only a small fraction of annual global emission.

Notes: Direct effects of increased above-ground CO2 concentration on soil microbial processes are unlikely, due to the high pCO2 of the soil atmosphere in most terrestrial ecosystems. However, below- ground microbial processes are likely to be affected through altered plant inputs at elevated CO2. A major component of plant input is derived from litter fall and root turnover. Inputs also derive from rhizodeposition (loss of C-compounds from active root systems) which may account for up to 40% of photoassimilate. This input fuels the activity of complex microbial communities around roots. These communities are centrally important not only to plant–microbe interactions and consequent effects on plant growth, but also, through their high relative activity and abundance, to microbially mediated processes in soil generally. This review focuses on approaches to measure C-flow from roots, in particular, as affected by increased atmospheric CO2 concentration. The available evidence for impacts on microbial communities inhabiting this niche, which constitutes an interface for possible perturbations on terrestrial ecosystems through the influence of environmental change, will also be discussed. While methodologies for measuring effects of increased CO2 concentration on plant growth, physiology and C-partitioning are abundant and widely reported, there is relatively little information on plant-mediated effects on soil microbial communities and processes. Importantly, many studies have also neglected to recognize that any secondary effects on microbial communities may have profound effects on plant parameters measured in relation to environmental change. We critically review approaches which have been used to measure rhizodeposition under conditions of increased atmospheric CO2 concentration, and then consider evidence for changes in microbial communities and processes, and the methodologies which have been recently developed, and are appropriate to study such changes.

Notes: The decomposition of senesced plant litter represents an important intermediate step in the cycling of nutrients between above- and below-ground systems. The rate of decomposition of plant litter is sensitive to fluctuations in a number of parameters, including environmental conditions, and particularly to changes in the quality of the litter. Increased C: N ratios of litter are thought to be one possible consequence of growth of plants under elevated [CO2]. This response is likely to reduce the rate of decomposition of the litter.Evidence from the growth of plants in both pot and field studies suggests that growth of C3 plants in elevated atmospheric [CO2] (600–700 μmol mol–1) may lead to a significant increase in either/both the C: N and the lignin: N ratios of litter. Short-term decomposition of litter from plants showing this response in elevated [CO2] has confirmed that decomposition occurs at a significantly lower rate. The limited studies of both the response of C4 plants to elevated [CO2] and the subsequent degradability of the senescent litter suggest that no differences in litter quality or degradability occur. In terms of litter quality the response of plants therefore appears to be dependent upon photosynthetic type; the C:N and lignin:N ratios of litter from C3 plants exposed to elevated [CO2] are increased, leading to lower degradation rates, while the nutrient ratios and degradation rates of litter from C4 plants grown in elevated [CO2] remain unchanged.To date, very few ecosystem studies of decomposition have been carried out. Further work is required at the ecosystem level to determine whether the effects observed in laboratory, pot and field studies are also observed in long-term, complex ecosystem studies. Clearly if these results are repeated at the ecosystem level then significant changes in the cycling of C and N in important terrestrial ecosystems may occur as a results of elevated [CO2].

Notes: This study investigated simultaneous plant and soil feedbacks on growth enhancement with elevated [CO2] within microcosms of yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) in the second year of growth. Understanding the integrated responses of model ecosystems may provide key insight into the potential net nutrient feedbacks on [CO2] growth enhancements in temperate forests. We measured the net biomass production, C:N ratios, root architecture, and mycorrhizal responses of yellow birch, in situ rates gross nitrogen mineralization and the partitioning of available NH4+ between yellow birch and soil microbes. Elevated atmospheric [CO2] resulted in significant alterations in the cycling of N within the microcosms. Plant C/N ratios were significantly increased, gross mineralization and NH4+ consumption rates were decreased, and relative microbial uptake of NH4+ was increased, representing a suite of N cycling negative feedbacks on N availability. However, increased C/N ratios may also be a mechanism which allows plants to maintain higher growth with a constant or reduced N supply. Total plant N content was increased with elevated [CO2], suggesting that yellow birch had successfully increased their ability to acquire nutrients during the first year of growth. However, plant uptake rates of NH4+ had decreased in the second year. This discrepancy implies that, in this study, nitrogen uptake showed a trend through ontogeny of decreasing enhancement under elevated [CO2]. The reduced N mineralization and relatively increased N immobilization are a potential feedback which may drive this ontogenetic trend. This study has demonstrated the importance of using an integrated approach to exploring potential nutrient-cycling feedbacks in elevated [CO2].

Notes: Acclimation of photosynthesis to growth at elevated CO2 concentration varies markedly between species. Species functionally classified as stress-tolerators (S) and ruderals (R), are thought to be incapable, or the least capable, of responding positively in terms of growth to elevated [CO2]. Is this pattern of response also apparent in leaf photosynthesis of wild S- and R-strategists? Acclimatory loss of a photosynthetic and growth response to elevated [CO2] is assumed to reflect limitation on capacity to utilize additional photosynthate. The doubling of pre-industrial global [CO2] is expected to coincide with a 3 °C increase in mean temperature which could stimulate growth; will photosynthetic capacity at elevated [CO2] be greater when the concurrent temperature increase is simulated? Five species from natural grassland of NW Europe and of contrasting ecological strategy were grown in hemispherical greenhouses, environmentally controlled to track the external microclimate. Within a replicated design, plants were grown at (i) current ambient [CO2] and temperature, (ii) elevated [CO2] (ambient + 340 μmol mol–1) and ambient temperature, (iii) ambient [CO2] and elevated temperature (ambient + 3 °C), or (iv) elevated [CO2] and elevated temperature. After 75–104 days, the CO2 response of light-saturated rates of photosynthesis (Asat) was analysed in controlled-environment cuvettes in a field laboratory. There was no acclimatory loss of photosynthetic capacity with growth in elevated [CO2] or elevated temperature over this period in Poa alpina (S), Bellis perennis (R) or Plantago lanceolata (mixed C-S-R strategist), and a significant (P ??bl 0.05) increase in capacity in Helianthemum nummularium (S) and Poa annua (R). Photosynthetic rates of leaves grown and measured in elevated [CO2] were therefore significantly higher than rates for leaves grown and measured in ambient [CO2], for all species. With the exception of Poa alpina, stomatal conductance and stomatal limitation on Asat showed no acclimatory response to growth in elevated [CO2].Carboxylation efficiency, determined from the initial slope of the response of Asat to intercellular CO2 concentration was significantly increased by elevated [CO2] and elevated temperature in H.nummularium, implying a possible increase in in vivo RubisCO activity. Increased carboxylation efficiency of this species was also reflected by an increase in the CO2- and light-saturated rates of photosynthesis, indicating an increased capacity for regeneration of the primary CO2 acceptor in photosynthesis. The results show that R-strategists and slow-growing S-strategists, are inherently capable of large increases in leaf photosynthetic capacity with growth in elevated [CO2] in contrast to expectations from growth studies. With the exception of P.annua, where there was a significant negative interaction between CO2 and temperature, concurrent increase in growth temperature had little effect on this pattern of response.

Notes: Yields and yield components of two cultivars of day-neutral spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were assessed along a gradient of daytime carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations from about 200 to near 350 μmol CO2 (mol air)–1 in a 38 m-long controlled environment chamber. The range in CO2 concentration studied approximates that of Earth’s atmosphere since the last ice age. This 75% rise in CO2 concentration increased grain yields more than 200% under well-watered conditions and by 80–150% when wheat was grown without additions of water during the last half of the 100-day growing season. The 27% increase in CO2 from the pre-industrial level of 150 years ago (275 μmol mol–1) to near the current concentration (350 μmol mol–1) increased grain yields of ‘Yaqui 54’ and ‘Seri M82’ spring wheats by 55% and 53%, respectively, under well-watered conditions. Yield increased because of greater numbers of grains per spike, rather than heavier grains or numbers of spikes per plant. Water use increased little with CO2 concentration, resulting in improved water use efficiency as CO2 rose. Data suggest that rising CO2 concentration contributed to the substantial increase in average wheat yields in the U.S. during recent decades.

Notes: The impact of doubled atmospheric [CO2] on the carbon balance of regularly cut Lolium perenne L. swards was studied for two years under semi-field conditions in the Wageningen Rhizolab. CO2 and H2O vapour exchange rates of the swards were measured continuously for two years in transparent enclosures. The light utilization efficiencies of the swards ranged between 1.5 g CO2 MJ–1 global radiation (high light, ambient [CO2]) and 2.8 g CO2 MJ–1 (low light, doubled [CO2]). The above-ground net primary productivity (NPP) in the enclosures was greater by 29% in 1994 and 43% in 1995 in the doubled [CO2] treatments, but only 20% and 25% more carbon was recovered in the periodical cuts. Thus, NPP increased significantly more than did the harvested above-ground biomass. The positive [CO2] effect on net carbon assimilation is therefore associated with a preferential allocation of extra carbon to the roots and soil.In addition to higher canopy photosynthesis and leaf elongation rates, a small part of the positive [CO2] effects on NPP could be attributed to a decrease of the specific respiration of the shoots. On a canopy basis however, respiration was equal or slightly higher at doubled [CO2] due to the higher amount of standing biomass.Comparison of NPP and carbon recovered in different harvests showed that allocation to roots and soil was highest in spring, it was low in early summer and increased again in late summer and autumn.The total gross amount of carbon partitioned to the roots and soil during the two year period was 57% more at doubled [CO2]. The total amount of carbon that was sequestered in the soil after subtraction of the respiratory losses was 458 g m–2 and 779 g m–2 in the ambient and doubled [CO2] treatments, respectively.The average water use efficiency (WUE) of the swards was increased by a factor 1.5 at doubled [CO2]. Both WUE and its positive interaction with [CO2] varied between years and were positively correlated with global irradiance. At doubled [CO2], the higher WUE was fully compensated for by a higher leaf area index. Therefore, total transpiration on a canopy basis was equal for the ambient and the doubled [CO2] concentrations in both years.

Notes: In July of 1987, we planted eight 30-cm-tall sour orange tree seedlings in a field of Avondale loam at Phoenix, Arizona and enclosed them in pairs in clear-plastic-wall open-top chambers. Since 18 November of that year, we have continuously pumped ambient air of ≈400 ppmv [CO2] through two of these enclosures, while through the other two we have continuously pumped air of ≈700 ppmv [CO2]. By the end of the second year of the study, the trunk plus branch volume of the [CO2]-enriched trees was ≈2.75 times greater than that of the ambient-treatment trees. Three years later, this factor had dropped to ≈2.0; but the decline in the [CO2]-enriched/ambient-treatment ratio of trunk plus branch volume was nearly perfectly offset by the relative fruit production advantage enjoyed by the [CO2]-enriched trees over that period. In Years 6, 7 and 8, however, there was a moderate drop in total productivity enhancement. This decline may be a delayed acclimation response, or it could be due to enhanced self-shading in the [CO2]-enriched trees or to the fact that, starting early in Year 6, many branches of the [CO2]-enriched trees grew all the way to the walls of their enclosures, so that many blossoms and young fruit were destroyed by intermittent physical trauma produced by the action of wind against the taut plastic in that year and in all succeeding years. Hence, we will have to maintain our experiment for several more years for this lateral growth obstruction to occur to the same degree in the ambient-air chambers as it has in the [CO2]-enriched chambers, in order to determine the long-term equilibrium effects of atmospheric [CO2] enrichment in a spatially confined environment.

Notes: Projections of future climate change include a strong likelihood of a doubling of current atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) and possible shifts in precipitation patterns. Drought stress is a major environmental limitation for crop growth and yield and is common in rainfed rice production systems. This study was conducted to determine the growth and grain yield responses of rice to drought stress under [CO2] enrichment. Rice (cv. IR-72) was grown to maturity in eight naturally sunlit, plant growth chambers in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations [CO2] of 350 and 700 μmol CO2 mol–1 air. In both [CO2], water management treatments included continuously flooded (CF) controls, flood water removed and drought stress imposed at panicle initiation (PI), anthesis (ANT), and both panicle initiation and anthesis (PI & ANT). The [CO2] enrichment increased growth, panicles plant–1 and grain yield. Drought accelerated leaf senescence, reduced leaf area and above-ground biomass and delayed crop ontogeny. The [CO2] enrichment allowed 1–2 days more growth during drought stress cycles. Grain yields of the PI and PI & ANT droughts were similar to the CF control treatments while the ANT drought treatment sharply reduced growth, grain yield and individual grain mass. We conclude that in the absence of air temperature increases, future global increases in [CO2] should promote rice growth and yield while providing a modest reduction of near 10% in water use and so increase drought avoidance.

Notes: Future climate change is projected to include a strong likelihood of continued increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) and possible shifts in precipitation patterns. Due mainly to uncertainties in the timing and amounts of monsoonal rainfall, drought is common in rainfed rice production systems. The objectives of this study were to quantify the effects and possible interactions of [CO2] and drought stress on rice (Oryza sativa, L.) photosynthesis, evapotranspiration and water-use efficiency. Rice (cv. IR-72) was grown to maturity in eight naturally sunlit, plant growth chambers in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations [CO2] of 350 and 700 μmol CO2 mol–1 air. In both [CO2], water management treatments included continuously flooded controls, flood water removed and drought stress imposed at panicle initiation, anthesis, and both panicle initiation and anthesis. Potential acclimation of rice photosynthesis to long-term [CO2] growth treatments of 350 and 700 μmol mol–1 was tested by comparing canopy photosynthesis rates across short-term [CO2] ranging from 160 to 1000 μmol mol–1. These tests showed essentially no acclimation response with photosynthetic rate being a function of current short-term [CO2] rather than long-term [CO2] growth treatment. In both long-term [CO2] treatments, photosynthetic rate saturated with respect to [CO2] near 510 μmol mol–1. Carbon dioxide enrichment significantly increased both canopy net photosynthetic rate (21–27%) and water-use efficiency while reducing evapotranspiration by about 10%. This water saving under [CO2] enrichment allowed photosynthesis to continue for about one to two days longer during drought in the enriched compared with the ambient [CO2] control treatments.

Notes: Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) was determined for kernels of six-row barley and durum wheat cultivated in the western Mediterranean basin during the last seven millennia. Samples came from different archaeological sites in Catalonia (north-east Spain) and in the south-east of Spain (mainly eastern Andalusia). Samples from the present were also analysed. Mean values of Δ for barley and durum wheat grains decreased slightly from Neolithic (7000–5000 BP) to Chalcolithic-Bronze (5000–3000 BP) and Iron ages (3000–2200 BP) both in Catalonia and in south-east (SE) Spain. Values were consistently lower in SE Spain than in Catalonia throughout these five millennia, which suggests that Catalonia was less arid than SE Spain in this period. Within a given region, current discrimination values for kernels of the same cereal species cultivated under rainfed conditions were lower than those of archaeological grains, which implies more arid conditions at present. Furthermore, an empirical relationship between Δ of mature kernels and total precipitation (plus irrigation where applicable) during grain filling (r2 = 0.73, N = 25) was established for barley, currently cultivated at different locations in the western Mediterranean basin in Spain. The resulting relationship was applied to the Δ data for barley kernels from 10 archaeological sites in Catalonia and 10 sites in SE Spain, to estimate the precipitation during grain filling at the time the kernels were produced. For both regions, current climatic conditions are consistently more arid than those inferred for the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron ages. In addition, although Catalonia was estimated to have had consistently wetter conditions (about 20% more precipitation) than SE Spain throughout these millennia, differences in precipitation between these two regions have recently increased, with 79% more precipitation in Catalonia. Results indicate a more rapid increase in aridity in SE Spain than in Catalonia, probably produced during the last few centuries, and due to anthropogenic causes.

Notes: Soil organic matter is a key component of all terrestrial ecosystems, and any variation in its composition and abundance has important effects on many of the processes that occur within the system. The role of soil organic matter in soil nutrient cycling and soil gaseous emissions is discussed in the context of agricultural sustainability and global environmental change. Recent data on organic carbon and nitrogen reserves in the soils of the world are presented, with special reference to the subtropical and tropical regions. Possibilities for long-lasting, enhanced sequestration of carbon in the soil through management of the land and water resources are reviewed. Finally, the need is stressed for an up-to-date database on soil resources and for a global monitoring system in order to permit the study of changes in soil organic matter quantity and quality over time, as determined by changes in land-use and climate.

Notes: Annual and seasonal net primary productivity estimates (NPP) of 15 global models across latitudinal zones and biomes are compared. The models simulated NPP for contemporary climate using common, spatially explicit data sets for climate, soil texture, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Differences among NPP estimates varied over space and time. The largest differences occur during the summer months in boreal forests (50° to 60°N) and during the dry seasons of tropical evergreen forests. Differences in NPP estimates are related to model assumptions about vegetation structure, model parameterizations, and input data sets.

Notes: We constructed a carbon budget for young birch trees grown in ambient and elevated CO2 concentrations over their fourth year of growth. The annual total of net leaf photosynthesis was 110% more in elevated CO2 than in ambient CO2. However, the trees in elevated CO2 grew only 59% more biomass than the trees in ambient CO2 over the year. Modelling studies showed that larger loss of carbon from fine-root production and growth of the root-associated mycorrhiza by the trees in elevated CO2 probably accounted for all the remaining difference in net photosynthesis between the two treatments. Our modelling also showed that the fraction of net photosynthate consumed by respiration of nonleaf tissue was similar in the two CO2 treatments, and was 26% and 24% for trees in ambient and elevated CO2, respectively.Trees in elevated CO2 had 43% more leaves, and produced 110% more net photosynthate than trees in ambient CO2, even though the maximum rate of carboxylation per unit leaf nitrogen decreased by 21%. Sensitivity studies showed that down-regulation reduced the annual net photosynthetic production of the trees in elevated CO2 by only 6%. Direct effects of higher CO2 on photosynthesis and greater leaf area of the trees in elevated CO2 increased the net photosynthesis of the trees by 68% and 60%, respectively; and together accounted for most of the difference in net photosynthesis between the two treatments.

Notes: A model developed by the authors (Huang et al. 1998) was further validated against field measurements from various regions of the world and calibrated to estimate methane emission from irrigated rice cultivation of China. On the basis of available information on rice cultivated area, growth duration, grain yield, soil texture and temperature, methane emission from Chinese rice paddies was estimated for 28 rice cultivated provinces in mainland. The calculated daily methane emission rates, on a provincial scale, ranged from 0.15 to 0.86 g m–2 with an average of 0.32 g m–2. Five of the top six locations with higher daily methane emissions are located at a latitude between 28° and 31° N. A total amount of 9.66 Tg (1 Tg = 1012 g) CH4 per year, ranging from 7.19 to 13.62, was estimated to be released from Chinese rice paddy soils. Of the total, 45% is emitted from the single-rice growing season, and 19% and 36% are from the early-rice and the late-rice growing seasons, respectively. Approximately 70% of the total is emitted in the region located at latitude between 25° and 32° N. The emissions from rice fields in Sichuan and Hunan Province were calculated to be 2.85 Tg y–1, accounting for ≈ 30% of the total. Comparisons of the estimated and the observed emission rates show that the estimates were, in general, close to the measurements at most locations.

Notes: Primary events in photosynthetic (PS) acclimation to elevated CO2 concentration ([CO2]) occur at the molecular level in leaf mesophyll cells, but final growth response to [CO2] involves acclimation responses associated with photosynthate partitioning among plant organs in relation to resources limiting growth. Source–sink interactions, particularly with regard to carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), are key determinants of PS acclimation to elevated [CO2] at the whole-plant level. In the long term, PS and growth response to [CO2] are dependent on genotypic and environmental factors affecting the plant's ability to develop new sinks for C, and acquire adequate N and other resources to support an enhanced growth potential. Growth at elevated [CO2] usually increases N use efficiency because PS rates can be maintained at levels comparable to those observed at ambient [CO2] with less N investment in PS enzymes. A frequent acclimation response, particularly under N-limited conditions, is for the accumulation of leaf carbohydrates at elevated [CO2] to lead to repression of genes associated with the production of PS enzymes. The hypothesis that this is an adaptive response, leading to a diversion of N to plant organs where it is of greatest benefit in terms of competitive ability and reproductive fitness, needs to be more rigorously tested. The biological control mechanisms which plants have evolved to acclimate to shifts in source–sink balance caused by elevated [CO2] are complex, and will only be fully elucidated by probing at all scales along the hierarchy from molecular to ecosystem. Use of environmental manipulations and genotypic comparisons will facilitate the testing of specific hypotheses. Improving our ability to predict PS acclimation to [CO2] will require the integration of results from laboratory studies using simple model systems with results from whole-plant studies that include measurements of processes operating at several scales. Abbreviations: CAM, crassulacean acid metabolism; FACE, Free-Air CO2 Enrichment; Pi, inorganic phosphate; LAR, leaf area ratio (m2 g-1); LWR, leaf weight ratio (g g-1); NAR, net assimilation rate (g m-2 d- 1); PS, photosynthetic; RGR, relative growth rate (g g-1 d-1); R:S, root/shoot ratio; rubisco, ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase; RuBP, ribulose bisphosphate; SLA, specific leaf area (m2 g-1); SPS, sucrose phosphate synthase; WUE, water use efficiency (g biomass g H2O-1).

Notes: Carbon dioxide exchange was measured, using the eddy covariance technique, during a one and a half year period in 1994 and 1995. The measurements took place over a former true raised bog, characterized by a shallow peat layer and a vegetation dominated by Molinia caerulea. The growing season extended from May until late October, with a maximum LAI in August of 1.7.The carbon balance shows a net release of 97 g C m–2 y–1 (265 kg C ha–1 y–1) from the peat bog ecosystem to the atmosphere. During June, July and August there is net consumption of CO2, while during the rest of the year there is net production of CO2. The average daytime assimilation rates ranged between – 0.2 and – 0.5 mg CO2 m–2 s–1 (– 45 and –11.3 μmol CO2 m–2 s–1), in a period where the LAI ranged between 1 and 1.7. A high vapour pressure deficit (〉 15 hPa) corresponding with high temperatures was found to reduce the assimilation rate by on average 50%. Apart from these factors, LAI and the soil temperature codetermine the net exchange of CO2.The total nocturnal respiration during the growing season lies within the same order as the average daytime net assimilation rate. Temperature was found to be the main factor controlling soil respiration, with a Q10 of 4.8.

Notes: Solar ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation penetrates plant canopies to a different degree than photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) because UV-B is diffused to a greater degree by the atmosphere. We measured both global (total) and diffuse solar radiation in canopy gaps of a semideciduous tropical forest in Panama. Measurements were simultaneously made in the UV-B and PAR wavebands. Compared to unobstructed measurements taken outside the forest, the sunlit portions of gaps were depleted in the proportion of UV-B relative to PAR, especially at midday. Shaded areas, in contrast, were always richer in UV-B relative to PAR, but the magnitude of the change varied greatly. Presumably this variation was due to the differences in the directional nature of diffuse solar UV-B radiation as compared to diffuse PAR. Measurements in the gaps showed substantial reductions in the proportion of radiation in the diffuse components of both the UV-B and PAR wavebands. However, because of the greater proportion of UV-B which is diffuse, it tended to predominate in shaded areas. Similar patterns were seen in measurements taken at temperate latitudes. Response of shade- and gap-dwelling plants to these high UV-B:PAR ratios has received little attention.

Notes: The 18O content of leaf water strongly influences the 18O contents of atmospheric CO2 and O2. The 18O signatures of these atmospheric gases, in turn, emerge as important indicators of large-scale gas exchange processes. Better understanding of the factors that influence the isotopic composition of leaf water is still required, however, for the quantitative utilization of these tracers. The 18O enrichment of leaf water relative to local meteoric water, is known to reflect climatic conditions. Less is known about the extent variations in the 18O content of leaf water are influenced by nonclimatic, species-specific characteristics. In a collection of 90 plant species from all continents grown under the same climatic conditions in the Jerusalem Botanical Garden we observed variations of about 9‰ in the δ18O values of stem water, δs, and of about 14‰ in the mid-day δ18O enrichment of bulk leaf water, δLW–δs. Differences between δ18O values predicted by a conventional evaporation model, δM, and δLW ranged between – 3.3‰ and + 11.8‰. The δ18O values of water in the chloroplasts (δch) in leaves of 10 selected plants were estimated from on-line CO2 discrimination measurements. Although much uncertainty is still involved in these estimates, the results indicated that δch can significantly deviate from δM in species with high leaf peclet number. The δ18O values of bulk leaf water significantly correlated with δ18O values of leaf cellulose (directly) and with instantaneous water use efficiency (A/E, inversely). Differences in isotopic characteristics among conventionally defined vegetation types were not significant, except for conifers that significantly differed from shrubs in δ18O and δ13C values of cellulose and in their peclet numbers, and from deciduous woodland species in their δ18O and δ13C values of cellulose. The results indicated that predictions of the δ18O values of leaf water (δLW, δM and δch) could be improved by considering plant species-specific characteristics.

Notes: In this study, we investigated the impact of elevated atmospheric CO2 (ambient + 350 μmol mol–1) on fine root production and respiration in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings. After six months exposure to elevated CO2, root production measured by root in-growth bags, showed significant increases in mean total root length and biomass, which were more than 100% greater compared to the ambient treatment. This increased root length may have lead to a more intensive soil exploration. Chemical analysis of the roots showed that the roots in the elevated treatment accumulated more starch and had a lower C/N-ratio. Specific root respiration rates were significantly higher in the elevated treatment and this was probably attributed to increased nitrogen concentrations in the roots. Rhizospheric respiration and soil CO2 efflux were also enhanced in the elevated treatment. These results clearly indicate that under elevated atmospheric CO2 root production and development in Scots pine seedlings is altered and respiratory carbon losses through the root system are increased.

Notes: Land–air exchanges of energy and matter are modulated by several feedback processes at both small and large space and time scales, with implications for the linked carbon, water and energy cycles. This paper studies the influences of four local feedbacks, occurring at single-patch spatial scales and subdiurnal temporal scales, on the surface energy balance (SEB) and land–air carbon fluxes. The feedbacks are: (i) radiative feedback, the modulation of available energy through the effect of surface temperature, Ts, on outgoing longwave radiation; (ii) physiological feedback, the interaction between vegetation physiology and the SEB through Ts; (iii) aerodynamic feedback, the modulation of turbulent heat and moisture transfer by atmospheric stability; and (iv) Convective Boundary Layer (CBL) feedback, the coupling between the daytime evolution of the SEB and CBL through saturation deficit.It is found that radiative feedback is significant only over very smooth surfaces. Physiological feedback is positive with respect to Ts at moderate to high temperatures, pushing stomata towards complete closure and the SEB towards very low evaporation rates. The SEB is quite sensitive to whether or not such closure occurs. Aerodynamic feedback, on the other hand, is negative with respect to Ts at these temperatures, reducing Ts and attenuating the tendency for heat-induced stomatal closure. CBL feedback alone does not dampen the sensitivity of the SEB to physiological feedback and stomatal closure. However, when aerodynamic feedback is included, this sensitivity is greatly reduced.

Notes: This paper overviews the short-term (biophysical) and long-term (out to around 100 year timescales; biogeochemical and biogeographical) influences of the land surface on weather and climate. From our review of the literature, the evidence is convincing that terrestrial ecosystem dynamics on these timescales significantly influence atmospheric processes. In studies of past and possible future climate change, terrestrial ecosystem dynamics are as important as changes in atmospheric dynamics and composition, ocean circulation, ice sheet extent, and orbit perturbations.

Notes: Numerous studies have underscored the importance of terrestrial ecosystems as an integral component of the Earth's climate system. This realization has already led to efforts to link simple equilibrium vegetation models with Atmospheric General Circulation Models through iterative coupling procedures. While these linked models have pointed to several possible climate–vegetation feedback mechanisms, they have been limited by two shortcomings: (i) they only consider the equilibrium response of vegetation to shifting climatic conditions and therefore cannot be used to explore transient interactions between climate and vegetation; and (ii) the representations of vegetation processes and land-atmosphere exchange processes are still treated by two separate models and, as a result, may contain physical or ecological inconsistencies.Here we present, as a proof concept, a more tightly integrated framework for simulating global climate and vegetation interactions. The prototype coupled model consists of the GENESIS (version 2) Atmospheric General Circulation Model and the IBIS (version 1) Dynamic Global Vegetation Model. The two models are directly coupled through a common treatment of land surface and ecophysiological processes, which is used to calculate the energy, water, carbon, and momentum fluxes between vegetation, soils, and the atmosphere. On one side of the interface, GENESIS simulates the physics and general circulation of the atmosphere. On the other side, IBIS predicts transient changes in the vegetation structure through changes in the carbon balance and competition among plants within terrestrial ecosystems.As an initial test of this modelling framework, we perform a 30 year simulation in which the coupled model is supplied with modern CO2 concentrations, observed ocean temperatures, and modern insolation. In this exploratory study, we run the GENESIS atmospheric model at relatively coarse horizontal resolution (4.5° latitude by 7.5° longitude) and IBIS at moderate resolution (2° latitude by 2° longitude). We initialize the models with globally uniform climatic conditions and the modern distribution of potential vegetation cover. While the simulation does not fully reach equilibrium by the end of the run, several general features of the coupled model behaviour emerge.We compare the results of the coupled model against the observed patterns of modern climate. The model correctly simulates the basic zonal distribution of temperature and precipitation, but several important regional biases remain. In particular, there is a significant warm bias in the high northern latitudes, and cooler than observed conditions over the Himalayas, central South America, and north-central Africa. In terms of precipitation, the model simulates drier than observed conditions in much of South America, equatorial Africa and Indonesia, with wetter than observed conditions in northern Africa and China.Comparing the model results against observed patterns of vegetation cover shows that the general placement of forests and grasslands is roughly captured by the model. In addition, the model simulates a roughly correct separation of evergreen and deciduous forests in the tropical, temperate and boreal zones. However, the general patterns of global vegetation cover are only approximately correct: there are still significant regional biases in the simulation. In particular, forest cover is not simulated correctly in large portions of central Canada and southern South America, and grasslands extend too far into northern Africa.These preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of coupling climate models with fully dynamic representations of the terrestrial biosphere. Continued development of fully coupled climate-vegetation models will facilitate the exploration of a broad range of global change issues, including the potential role of vegetation feedbacks within the climate system, and the impact of climate variability and transient climate change on the terrestrial biosphere.

Notes: The effects of elevated CO2 on tropical ecosystems were studied in the artificial rain forest mesocosm at Biosphere 2, a large-scale and ecologically diverse experimental facility located in Oracle, Arizona. The ecosystem responses were assessed by comparing the whole-system net gas exchange (NEE) upon changing CO2 levels from 900 to 450 ppmV. The day-NEE was significantly higher in the elevated CO2 treatment. In both experiments, the NEE rates were similar to values observed in natural analogue systems. Variations in night-NEE, reflecting both soil CO2 efflux and plants respiration, covaried with temperature but showed no clear correlation with atmospheric CO2 levels. After correcting for changes in CO2 efflux we show that the rain forest net photosynthesis increased in response to increasing atmospheric CO2. The photosynthetic enhancement was expressed in higher quantum yields, maximum assimilation rates and radiation use efficiency. The results suggest that photosynthesis in large tropical trees is CO2 sensitive, at least following short exposures of days to weeks. Taken at face value, the data suggest that as a result of anthropogenic emissions of CO2, tropical rain forests may shift out of steady state, and become a carbon sink at least for short periods. However, a better understanding of the unique conditions and phenomena in Biosphere 2 is necessary before these results are broadly useful.

Notes: A wide variety of models have illustrated the potential importance of terrestrial biological feedbacks on climate and climate change; yet our ability to make precise predictions is severely limited, due to a high degree of uncertainty. In this paper, after briefly reviewing current models, we present challenges for new terrestrial models and introduce a simple mechanistic approach that may complement existing approaches.

Notes: We present evidence that land use practices in the plains of Colorado influence regional climate and vegetation in adjacent natural areas in the Rocky Mountains in predictable ways. Mesoscale climate model simulations using the Colorado State University Regional Atmospheric Modelling System (RAMS) projected that modifications to natural vegetation in the plains, primarily due to agriculture and urbanization, could produce lower summer temperatures in the mountains. We corroborate the RAMS simulations with three independent sets of data: (i) climate records from 16 weather stations, which showed significant trends of decreasing July temperatures in recent decades; (ii) the distribution of seedlings of five dominant conifer species in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, which suggested that cooler, wetter conditions occurred over roughly the same time period; and (iii) increased stream flow, normalized for changes in precipitation, during the summer months in four river basins, which also indicates cooler summer temperatures and lower transpiration at landscape scales. Combined, the mesoscale atmospheric/land-surface model, short-term trends in regional temperatures, forest distribution changes, and hydrology data indicate that the effects of land use practices on regional climate may overshadow larger-scale temperature changes commonly associated with observed increases in CO2 and other greenhouse gases.

Notes: Feedback interactions between terrestrial vegetation and climate could alter predictions of the responses of both systems to a doubling of atmospheric CO2. Most previous analyses of biosphere responses to global warming have used output from equilibrium simulations of current and future climate, as compared to more recently available transient GCM simulations. We compared the vegetation responses to these two different classes of GCM simulation (equilibrium and transient) using an equilibrium vegetation distribution model, MAPSS. Average climatologies were extracted from the transient GCM simulations for current and doubled (2×) CO2 concentrations (taken to be 2070–2099) for use by the equilibrium vegetation model. However, the 2 × CO2 climates extracted from the transient GCM simulations were not in equilibrium, having attained only about 65% of their eventual 2 × CO2 equilibrium temperature change. Most of the differences in global vegetation response appeared to be related to a very different simulated change in the pole to tropic temperature gradient. Also, the transient scenarios produced much larger increases of precipitation in temperate latitudes, commensurate with a minimum in the latitudinal temperature change. Thus, the (equilibrium) global vegetation response, under the transient scenarios, tends more to a greening than a decline in vegetation density, as often previously simulated. It may be that much of the world could become greener during the early phases of global warming, only to reverse in later, more equilibrial stages. However, whether or not the world's vegetation experiences large drought-induced declines or perhaps large vegetation expansions in early stages could be determined by the degree to which elevated CO2 will actually benefit natural vegetation, an issue still under debate. There may occur oscillations, perhaps on long timescales, between greener and drier phases, due to different frequency responses of the coupled ocean–atmosphere–biosphere interactions. Such oscillations would likely, of themselves, impart further reverberations to the coupled Earth System.

Notes: Severe fires in 1957 and 1976 removed the vegetation and soil organic matter from the litter layers and organic horizons of soils at two adjacent moorland sites leaving exposed the uppermost mineral horizon of the soil. In the period since, plant recolonization and soil organic matter reaccumulation have occurred to give a chronosequence. Assuming no major changes in the carbon and nitrogen content of the unburned soil since 1957, the rates of accumulation of soil C and N were estimated to be 0.035 kg C m–2 y–1 and 0.001 kg N m–2 y–1 over the first 19 years, and 0.50 kg C m–2 y–1 and 0.023 kg N m–2 y–1 over the period from 19 to 38 years after burning. Solid-state 13C NMR (cross-polarization, magic angle spinning 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) showed that the ratio of alkyl- and methyl-C-to-O-alkyl-C increased with stage of decomposition and in the unburned soil with decreasing particle-size. For the organic matter that had reaccumulated in the 1957-burned soil, the alkyl-C-to-O-alkyl-C ratio of the 〉 2000 μm and 2000–250 μm particle-size fractions were greater than those of the corresponding size fractions from the unburned soil, indicating that the reaccumulated soil organic matter was subject to decomposition but limited fragmentation or comminution.

Notes: We outline a method of inferring rooting depth from a Terrestrial Biosphere Model by maximizing the benefit of the vegetation within the model. This corresponds to the evolutionary principle that vegetation has adapted to make best use of its local environment. We demonstrate this method with a simple coupled biosphere/soil hydrology model and find that deep rooted vegetation is predicted in most parts of the tropics. Even with a simple model like the one we use, it is possible to reproduce biome averages of observations fairly well. By using the optimized rooting depths global Annual Net Primary Production (and transpiration) increases substantially compared to a standard rooting depth of one meter, especially in tropical regions that have a dry season. The decreased river discharge due to the enhanced evaporation complies better with observations. We also found that the optimization process is primarily driven by the water deficit/surplus during the dry/wet season for humid and arid regions, respectively. Climate variability further enhances rooting depth estimates. In a sensitivity analysis where we simulate changes in the water use efficiency of the vegetation we find that vegetation with an optimized rooting depth is less vulnerable to variations in the forcing. We see the main application of this method in the modelling communities of land surface schemes of General Circulation Models and of global Terrestrial Biosphere Models. We conclude that in these models, the increased soil water storage is likely to have a significant impact on the simulated climate and the carbon budget, respectively. Also, effects of land use change like tropical deforestation are likely to be larger than previously thought.

Notes: The gelada baboon is a graminivorous primate whose ecology is unusually sensitive to ambient temperature. A systems model of the socio-ecology of the gelada is used to predict the impact of global warming on the species’ altitudinal distribution. The species’ lower altitudinal limit will rise by ≈ 500 m for every 2 °C increase in global mean temperature. A 7 °C rise in temperature would be sufficient to result in the species being confined to a small number of isolated mountain peaks, where its chances of survival will be greatly reduced. Changes in local climate are also likely to have significant effects on agricultural practice on the Ethiopian highlands, and this in turn is likely to have repercussions for the distribution patterns of the gelada by further constraining the habitat available to them.

Notes: The degree to which primary production, soil carbon, and trace gas fluxes in tropical forests of the Amazon are limited by moisture availability and other environmental factors was examined using an ecosystem modelling application for the country of Brazil. A regional geographical information system (GIS) serves as the data source of climate drivers, satellite images, land cover, and soil properties for input to the NASA Ames-CASA (Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach) model over a 8-km grid resolution. Simulation results lead us to hypothesize that net primary production (NPP) is limited by cloud interception of solar radiation over the humid north-western portion of the region. Peak annual rates for NPP of nearly 1.4 kg C m–2 year–1 are localized in the seasonally dry eastern Amazon in areas that we assume are primarily deep-rooted evergreen forest cover. Regional effects of forest conversion on NPP and soil carbon content are indicated in the model results, especially in seasonally dry areas. Comparison of model flux predictions along selected eco-climatic transects reveal moisture, soil, and land use controls on gradients of ecosystem production and soil trace gas emissions (CO2, N2O, and NO). These results are used to formulate a series of research hypotheses for testing in the next phase of regional modelling, which includes recalibration of the light-use efficiency term in NASA-CASA using field measurements of NPP, and refinements of vegetation index and soil property (texture and potential rooting depth) maps for the region.

Notes: The expansion of Juniperus occidentalis (western juniper) has been extensive in the last century, and increases in density and cover have been linked with the indirect effects of domestic livestock grazing (i.e. cessation of periodic fires, increases of nurse-plant sites), and more favourable climatic conditions. In this study, we document changes in vegetation (including J. occidentalis) in central Oregon over a 23-year period and relate these changes to their probable causes. In June 1995 we returned to the Horse Ridge Research Natural Area (HRRNA), a site that has a history of minimal anthropogenic impacts, to replicate a 1972 vegetation survey. Using the canopy-intercept method, line intercept method, and aerial photography analysis to measure herbaceous cover, shrub cover and tree cover, respectively, we found significant changes had occurred in the 23-year period between studies. Relative changes of tree, shrub, and perennial herbaceous cover were 59%, 7%, and – 38%, respectively. Relative increases in J. occidentalis density, as measured by the number of clumps and the number of stems, were 37% and 53%, respectively. Mean maximum height of J. occidentalis had increased by 10%. We examined the role of potentially confounding influences (e.g. fire, grazing, pathogens, climatic variability) and found that none of the traditional mechanisms implicated in J. occidentalis expansion adequately explained the observed changes. We suggest that the role of biological inertia of both anthropogenic and natural means may have had a profound effect on the J. occidentalis ecology of HRRNA.

Notes: Although soil organisms play an essential role in the cycling of elements in terrestrial ecosystems, little is known of the impact of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations on soil microbial processes. We determined microbial biomass and activity in the soil of multitrophic model ecosystems housed in the Ecotron (NERC Centre for Population Biology, Ascot, UK) under two atmospheric CO2 concentrations (ambient vs. ambient + 200 ppm). The model communities consist of four annual plant species which naturally co-occur in weedy fields and disturbed ground throughout southern England, together with their herbivores, parasitoids and soil biota. At the end of two experimental runs lasting 9 and 4.5 months, respectively, root dry weight and quality showed contradictory responses to elevated CO2 concentrations, probably as a consequence of the different time-periods (and hence number of plant generations) in the two experiments. Despite significant root responses no differences in microbial biomass could be detected. Effects of CO2 concentration on microbial activity were also negligible. Specific enzymes (protease and xylanase) showed a significant decrease in activity in one of the experimental runs. This could be related to the higher C:N ratio of root tissue. We compare the results with data from the literature and conclude that the response of complex communities cannot be predicted on the basis of oversimplified experimental set-ups.

Notes: Nonlinear responses of photosynthesis to the CO2 concentration at which plants were grown (Cg) have been often reported in the literature. This study was designed to develop mechanistic understanding of the nonlinear responses with both experimental and modelling approaches. Soybean (Glycine max) was grown in five levels of Cg (280, 350, 525, 700, 1000 ppm) with either a high or low rate of nitrogen fertilization. When the rate of nitrogen fertilization was high, the photosynthetic rate measured at Cg was highest in plants from the 700 ppm CO2 treatment. When the rate of nitrogen fertilization was low, little variation was observed in the photosynthetic rates of plants from the different treatments measured at their respective Cg. Measurements of CO2-induced changes in mass-based leaf nitrogen concentration (nm, an index of changes in biochemical processes) and leaf mass per unit area (h, an index of morphological properties) were used in a model and indicate that the nonlinearity of photosynthetic responses to Cg is largely determined by relative changes in photosynthetic sensitivity, biochemical downregulation, and morphological upregulation. In order to further understand the nonlinear responses, we compiled data from the literature on CO2-induced changes in nm and h. These compiled data indicate that h generally increases and nm usually decreases with increasing Cg, but that the trajectories and magnitudes of the changes in h and nm vary with species and growth environments. Integration of these variables (nm and h) into a biochemically based model of photosynthesis enabled us to predict diverse responses of photosynthesis to Cg. Thus a general mechanism is suggested for the highly variable, nonlinear responses of photosynthesis to Cg reported in the literature.

Notes: Spring wheat cv. Minaret was grown to maturity under three carbon dioxide (CO2) and two ozone (O3) concentrations in open-top chambers (OTC). Green leaf area index (LAI) was increased by elevated CO2 under ambient O3 conditions as a direct result of increases in tillering, rather than individual leaf areas. Yellow LAI was also greater in the 550 and 680 μmol mol–1 CO2 treatments than in the chambered ambient control; individual leaves on the main shoot senesced more rapidly under 550 μmol mol–1 CO2, but senescence was delayed at 680 μmol mol–1 CO2. Fractional light interception (f) during the vegetative period was up to 26% greater under 680 μmol mol–1 CO2 than in the control treatment, but seasonal accumulated intercepted radiation was only increased by 8%. As a result of greater carbon assimilation during canopy development, plants grown under elevated CO2 were taller at anthesis and stem and ear biomass were 27 and 16% greater than in control plants. At maturity, yield was 30% greater in the 680 μmol mol–1 CO2 treatment, due to a combination of increases in the number of ears per m–2, grain number per ear and individual grain weight (IGW).Exposure to a seasonal mean (7 h d–1) of 84 nmol mol–1 O3 under ambient CO2 decreased green LAI and increased yellow LAI, thereby reducing both f and accumulated intercepted radiation by ≈ 16%. Individual leaves senesced completely 7–28 days earlier than in control plants. At anthesis, the plants were shorter than controls and exhibited reductions in stem and ear biomass of 15 and 23%. Grain yield at maturity was decreased by 30% due to a combination of reductions in ear number m–2, the numbers of grains per spikelet and per ear and IGW. The presence of elevated CO2 reduced the rate of O3-induced leaf senescence and resulted in the maintenance of a higher green LAI during vegetative growth under ambient CO2 conditions. Grain yields at maturity were nevertheless lower than those obtained in the corresponding elevated CO2 treatments in the absence of elevated O3. Thus, although the presence of elevated CO2 reduced the damaging impact of ozone on radiation interception and vegetative growth, substantial yield losses were nevertheless induced. These data suggest that spring wheat may be susceptible to O3-induced injury during anthesis irrespective of the atmospheric CO2 concentration. Possible deleterious mechanisms operating through effects on pollen viability, seed set and the duration of grain filling are discussed.

Notes: A new warming technique has been developed in a field experimental study of the potential effects of climatic change on N leaching from hill land plant/soil systems. Thermocouple compensating cable has been utilized to provide a small cross-section, flexible, low voltage heating cable, mounted on a framework of stainless steel mesh, to provide uniform heating at the vegetation/soil interface of zero-tension lysimeters and surrounding turf. We describe a specially designed heat controller capable of maintaining a temperature differential of 3 °C above ambient at a soil depth of 0.8 cm. The equipment raises temperatures down the soil profile and within the grass sward, whilst tracking normal diurnal temperature variation. Results presented here illustrate the efficacy of the warming technique, together with the consequences for the release of nitrate from lysimeters. The responses of soil solution concentrations of nitrate varied markedly between soil types, but showed a significant decrease in the brown earth during the first 5 months of additional heating. This suggests that increased nutrient release is masked by plant uptake in this soil, but the responses in the other two soils were less marked.

Notes: The impact of climate change on N leaching from hill land plant/soil systems was investigated using a transplant technique involving the movement of intact lysimeter cores of three contrasting soil types down an altitudinal gradient at Great Dun Fell, Cumbria. Air and soil temperatures and precipitation were monitored at four elevations down an altitudinal transect using automatic weather stations for a period of two years. The altitudinal sequence of air temperature followed the anticipated pattern, providing mean annual temperatures at the four locations of 3.4, 5.0, 6.3 and 8.1 °C. Lapse rates of both mean air and soil temperatures over the altitudinal range 171–845 m were 6.6 (1993) and 7.0 °C km–1 (1994). Soil monthly temperature gradients for a particular soil type for each of the two years showed a seasonal range of 6.0 and 7.4 °C km–1, respectively, and for air temperature of 4.3 and 3.1 °C km–1. Precipitation gradients showed the expected general increase with altitude, but were less predictable. Inorganic nitrogen leaching was studied in lysimeter leachates with climatic amelioration resulting in dramatic reductions in leachate nitrate concentrations and associated total concentrations of inorganic nitrogen. Decreases in leachate nitrate concentrations were observed for all three soil types studied. Soils receiving supplemented rainfall also showed decreased N concentrations, suggesting that temperature was the main controlling factor responsible for the observed reductions. Increased N uptake by the vegetation, in response to the increases in temperature, is considered to be critical in controlling soil solution chemistry at these sites.

Notes: Passive open-top devices have been proposed as a method to experimentally increase temperature in high-latitude ecosystems. There is, however, little documentation on the efficacy of these devices. This paper examines the performance of four open-top chambers for altering temperature at six sites in the Arctic and Antarctica. Most of the heating effect was due to daytime warming above ambient; occasional night-time cooling below ambient, especially of air temperatures, depressed mean daily temperature. The mean daily temperatures at four arctic sites were generally increased by 1.2–1.8 °C; but occasionally, temperature depressions also occurred. Under optimal conditions at the antarctic site (dry soils, no vegetation, high radiation) mean daily soil temperatures were increased by +2.2 °C (–10 cm) to +5.2 °C (0 cm). Protection from wind may play a more important role than temperature per se in providing a favourable environment for plant growth within open-top devices. Wind speed had a generally negative impact on mean daily temperature. Daily global radiation was both positively and negatively related to chamber temperature response. The effect of chambers on snow accumulation was variable with the Alexandra Fjord site showing an increased accumulation in chambers but no difference in the date of snowmelt, while at Latnjajaure in a deep snowfall site, snowmelt occurred 1–2 weeks earlier in chambers, potentially increasing the growing season. Selection of a passive temperature-enhancing system requires balancing the temperature enhancement desired against potential unwanted ecological effects such as chamber overheating and altered light, moisture, and wind. In general, the more closed the temperature-enhancing system, the higher is the temperature enhancement, but the larger are the unwanted ecological effects. Open-top chambers alter temperature significantly and minimize most unwanted ecological effects; as a consequence, these chambers are a useful tool for studying the response of high-latitude ecosystems to warming.

Notes: Two circumpolar tundra plant species, the evergreen dwarfshrub Cassiope tetragona and the perennial herb Ranunculus nivalis, were studied at Latnjajaure in northern Swedish Lapland during three consecutive growing seasons (1993–95) as a contribution to the ITEX programme. Open-top chambers (OTCs) were used in a passive heating experiment, and the performance of the plants in unmanipulated controls was correlated with climatic fluctuations among the years. Phenological, vegetative, and reproductive variables were measured. In both species phenological responses were controlled mainly by ambient air temperature. In the evergreen C. tetragona vegetative growth was controlled mainly by the influx of global solar radiation and was not temperature-dependent, whereas the opposite applied in the herbaceous R. nivalis. Vegetative growth in C. tetragona was rather stable among years as well as between treatments, whereas it was strongly influenced by annual climate in R. nivalis. Both species increased their reproductive success with increasing temperature, but R. nivalis was also radiation-dependent in this case, probably because of its green, photosynthetic nutlets. Ovule number in R. nivalis increased steadily in the experimentally heated plots during the study in response to the constant temperature amelioration above the ambient. At the community level, evergreen C. tetragona seems to have low competitive ability under warmer conditions. The situation for vernal low-growing herbs like R. nivalis is more complex; despite a strong positive response to increased temperature, they may exhibit decreased reproductive success if overgrown by a vigorous graminoid canopy.

Notes: We investigated the potential effects of global climate change on arctic tundra vegetation used as caribou forage. A total of 96 experimental plots was established at six sites on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, in 1993 and 1994. We erected snow-fences to increase the amount of snow deposition, and therefore delay the date of the snowmelt on 48 plots (referred to as increased snow/late melting plots). We used black mesh netting on the surface of the snow to increase the rate of melting on 24 plots; the remaining 24 plots served as controls. In July 1994, we collected green leaves from Eriophorum vaginatum, Salix planifolia, and Betula nana and analysed these samples for total carbon and total nitrogen content. Ratios of carbon to nitrogen differed among treatments for all three species. Generally, C:N ratios for B. nana and E. vaginatum on increased snow/late melting plots were lower than on control plots. C:N ratios for S. planifolia on increased snow/late melting plots did not differ from controls, but were lower than on plots which started to melt early. These results may be due to the timing of nitrogen translocation from leaf and stem tissue into storage organs, or due to an increase in available nitrogen input to the system. Further sampling is needed to adequately determine the mechanism responsible for increased nitrogen content of caribou forage in areas with increased amount of snow and delayed snowmelt.

Notes: The seasonal patterns of leaf exsertion, elongation, and senescence were described and compared for two of the most abundant graminoid species of Alaskan moist tussock tundra, Eriophorum vaginatum and Carex bigelowii. In addition the responses of both species to NPK fertilizer and to variation in site fertility (water track vs. non-track areas) were also assayed and compared. The research was done over two full growing seasons at two sites near Toolik Lake, Alaska, where other aspects of the ecology of both species have been the subject of intensive and ongoing research.Both species showed the typical graminoid pattern of sequential leaf growth, in which the exsertion and elongation of new leaves is coincident with the senescence of old leaves. However, the rates of these processes were much slower and steadier in Eriophorum than in Carex, with much greater overlap in the life histories of individual leaf cohorts. The total and green leaf lengths of whole tillers in Eriophorum were also less variable over the entire year than in Carex. The conclusion is that leaf growth in Carex should depend more on external storage of carbon and nutrients than Eriophorum, with a much greater seasonal variation in demands on storage and retranslocation to and from leaves.The effects of fertilizer and the water track on leaf growth dynamics and turnover rates were largely nonsignificant, despite major effects on total tiller size and productivity. This is in contrast to previous research on evergreen leaf dynamics, but similar to results of previous research on overall production and biomass regulation in Eriophorum. It is concluded that the graminoid response to increased nutrient availability in the Arctic is to dilute the greater amounts of nutrient uptake by greater growth, so that nearly the same metabolic homeostasis is achieved as under low nutrient availability, but at a higher biomass.

Notes: In an attempt to simulate the effect of a global climatic change, temperature manipulations were carried out in a natural population of Papaver radicatum from a low arctic area on Disko Island, West Greenland. The manipulations were carried out by means of ITEX corners, which are angular plexiglass screens placed around individual plants. The corners were placed with openings towards four directions and different microclimatic conditions were obtained. The corners increase the summer temperature to different degrees in the four directions. In addition they are windscreens and eventually accumulate snow, dependent on the wind directions.Dataloggers in a set of corners measured temperatures at the end of one growing season and at the beginning of the next. Spring was delayed in all corners due to increased snow cover duration, especially in those facing East and North. Nevertheless, temperatures were increased in the corners during the season, and highest temperature sums were obtained in those facing South and West. No temperature increase was found in the North-facing corners.No effect was seen on the plants the first year after application of the ITEX corners. In the second year an increased biomass was observed in corners facing West and South in accordance with the higher temperatures experienced in these directions. In the third biomass year plants in corners facing West decreased and those facing North slightly increased compared to previous years. After 4 years plants in corners facing West, South and East had attained significantly higher biomass than the control plants and the plants in corners facing North.An earlier onset of flowering was seen in the corners compared to control, and South-facing corners had more flowers. An early onset of the growth period is an advantage to flowering, more so than increased temperatures during the season. Flowering was prolonged in the corners compared to controls, but there was a higher risk of frost damage to the flowers in the corners.

Notes: Saxifraga oppositifolia, a widespread circum-arctic and alpine plant species, was exposed to increased temperature at three ITEX sites of different latitudes: Val Bercla in the Swiss Alps (46°N), Latnjajaure in mid-alpine Northern Sweden (68°N), and Alexandra Fjord, Ellesmere Island (79°N) in the Canadian High Arctic. Phenology, growth, and reproduction were monitored for 2 or 3 consecutive years. Increased temperature had little influence on the phenology of S. oppositifolia, although flowering period was somewhat longer and pollination earlier in the experimental plots. A decrease in the density of flowers on each plant was noted at two sites over 3 years, with a slightly larger decrease in the warmed plots. The few changes observed in reproductive variables (e.g. fruit : flower ratio) are mostly assigned to increased shading by taller growing neighbouring plants of other species, thus limiting performance of the shade-intolerant S. oppositifolia. It is assumed that survival of this species, especially at the lower limits of its altitudinal and latitudinal distribution, will depend on seed dispersal to new, open habitats.

Notes: We have examined organismic responses of Dryas octopetala to simulated changes in the summer climate at four tundra sites as part of the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX). Our study sites are located in the High Arctic, on Svalbard, Norway, in the Low Arctic at Abisko, Sweden, and at Toolik Lake, Alaska, USA and our temperate alpine site is at Niwot Ridge, Colorado, USA. These sites represent a range of tundra temperature and precipitation regimes, being generally cold and dry in the High Arctic and warmer and wetter at Toolik Lake and Niwot Ridge. Results from our studies indicate organismic attributes such as flowering shoot length varies by 30% between low and high arctic populations and that experimental warming results in significant increases in shoot height at three of four sites. We find that phenological development of Dryas is accelerated under experimentally warmed conditions which corresponds with a lengthening of the growing season in autumn, greater degrees of seed set and a higher likelihood of colonization of bare ground. We also observe that Dryas dominated ecosystems which are exposed to experimental manipulations are capable of exhibiting net carbon sequestration in late autumn, and that Dryas photosynthesis and green leaf biomass is significantly greater under warmer as opposed to ambient temperature conditions. Dryas leaf nitrogen is also significantly lowered under warmer conditions resulting in senescent leaves having a higher C:N ratio than those under ambient conditions. Together these findings indicate that Dryas phenology and carbon flux may be altered to the greatest degree in spring and again in autumn by higher summer temperatures and that simultaneously both positive and negative feedback effects may result from changes in plant and ecosystem performance.

Notes: Methane emissions at different rice productivity levels were observed from Texas rice paddy soils during the years 1991–95. Analysis of field measurements showed that seasonal methane emission (E) was strongly dependent on soil, cultivar, and rice grain yield. The relationship can be quantitatively described by E (g m–2) = 0.048 × SI × VI × GY. SI is a soil index to characterize the relative effect of soil texture on emission and is linked with soil sand percentage. VI is a variety index to identify the intervarietal difference in methane emission and is related to the amount of methane emission per unit grain yield. GY is grain yield (g m–2). Constant 0.048 was derived from the measurements of 10 cultivars planted in 1993. Computed emission applying the relationship is well matched with measured data. The comparison of computed with measured seasonal methane emission over an 80-day period using a total of 32 data sets yields a correlation coefficientr2 of 0.800. In addition, the ratio of seasonal methane emission to net primary productivity was calculated on a carbon to carbon basis, which produces an average value of 2.8%, ranging from 1.2% to 5.4%. A further investigation indicated that the ratio is soil and variety dependent and can be quantitatively explained by C[CH4]/C[NPP] (%) = 3.21 × SI × VI + 0.12 (r2 = 0.738, n = 32). Under the condition of 30% soil sand, this ratio is ≈ 3% for the majority of cultivars.

Notes: Phenology and growth of Papaver radicatum Rottb. was monitored over four summers (1990–1993) at 12 sites, along a dolomitic and a granitic altitudinal gradient (330 m a.s.l.–770 m a.s.l.) at Sverdrup Pass, central Ellesmere Island, Canada. The gradients provided substantial differences in environmental characteristics. Three of the four seasons (1990, 1991 and 1993) had more than 400 thawing degree-days (TDD) in the valley, while the 1992 season had less than 300. The granitic sites had consistently higher temperatures than the dolomitic sites, despite their northerly aspect. Increasing elevation reduced total degree-day accumulation (c. 40 degree-days/100 m) and length of potential growing season. The proportion of the population producing flower buds was similar at all sites in any given year, but there were differences among years. Production of flowers and fruits per site, decreased with altitude along the dolomitic gradient in 1991 and 1992. There was no difference in the number of buds or flowers produced per plant with increasing altitude, although larger plants with multiple flowers were found only on low elevation granitic sites. Plants from the dolomitic sites were smaller and flowered, on average, after the site accumulated 150 degree-days, while plants on the granitic sites were larger and bloomed after 200 degree-days. Papaver is able to grow and reproduce over a wide range of environmental conditions and moderate climate warming would likely promote its growth and establishment, unless other factors, especially snow-free periods and water availability, become limiting.

Notes: Seedlings of loblolly pine, Pinus taeda, were grown in open-topped chambers under four levels of CO2: two ambient and two elevated. Larvae of the red-headed pine sawfly, Neodiprion lecontei, were reared from early instar to pupation, primarily on branches within chambers. Larval growth and mortality were assessed and leaf phytochemistry samples of immature and mature leaves collected weekly. Mature leaves grown under elevated CO2 had significant reductions in leaf nitrogen and increases in non-structural carbohydrate contents, resulting in foliage being a poorer food source for larvae, i.e. higher carbohydrate:nitrogen ratio. Nutritional constituents of immature needles were unaffected by seedling CO2 treatment. Volatile mono- and sesquiterpenes were unrelated to plant CO2 treatments for either leaf age class. Larval consumption of immature needles significantly increased on seedlings grown under CO2 enrichment, while mature needle consumption was not different between the treatments. The average weight gain per larva significantly declined in late instar larvae consuming elevated CO2-grown needles. In spite of this reduced growth, neither the days to pupation nor pupal weights were different among the CO2 treatments. This study suggests that enriched CO2-induced alterations in pine needle phytochemistry can affect red-headed pine sawfly performance. However, compensatory measures by larvae, such as choosing to consume more nutritious immature needles, apparently helps offset enriched CO2-induced reductions in the leaf quality of mature needles.

Notes: Using a simple isotope mixing model, we evaluated the relative proportion of water vapour generated by plant transpiration and by soil evaporation at two sites in the Amazon basin. Sampling was carried out at two different soil covers (forest and pasture), in a seasonal tropical rainforest at eastern Amazon where major deforestation is the result of land-use change, and compared to a less seasonal central Amazon forest. In both forests, vapour from transpiration was responsible for most, if not all, of the water vapour generated in the forest, while it could not be detected above the grassy pastures. Thus the canopy transpiration may be a major source of water vapour to the forest and perhaps to the atmosphere during the dry season. The results are discussed in relation to predictive models based on net radiation that usually are not able to distinguish between transpiration and evaporation.