Photosynthetic Productivity of Oak Stand under Variable Environmental Conditions and Water Availability

An especial method was applied for calculating the photosynthetic productivity of oak (Quercus robur L.) stand. The methodological basis is that the efficiency of photosynthetic utilization of intercepted PAR over the daylight period depends on environmental conditions and distribution of PAR within the canopy. This method was also used to determine the photosynthetic productivity of individual trees within the stand and to estimate the contribution of trees with various extents of growth retardment to the total photosynthetic productivity. For the oak stand in the forest-steppe region, the photosynthetic efficiency was expressed as a function of climatic variables such as solar irradiance day sum, day average temperature, air humidity, and water availability (quantified as the predawn leaf water potential, PLWP). This functional dependence differed for sun-exposed and shade leaves. Under optimum water availability (PLWP = −0.5 MPa), the photosynthetic productivity of a 60-year-old oak stand amounted 44.5 t C/(ha year) but it declined with the decrease in water availability. Under severe water deficit, when PLWP dropped to −2.1 MPa, the photosynthetic productivity decreased 17-fold and equaled 2.6 t C/(ha year). The strongest decline in photosynthetic productivity occurred on sunny days under moisture deficit in dominant and codominant trees belonging to growth classes I and II.__________Translated from Fiziologiya Rastenii, Vol. 52, No. 4, 2005, pp. 522–531.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Molchanov.     

Photosynthesis,respiration, and net primary production of sunflower stands in ambient and elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations: an invariant NPP:GPP ratio?

The effect of elevated CO₂ on photosynthesis, respiration, and growth efficiency of sunflower plants at the whole‐stand level was investigated using a whole‐system gas exchange facility (the EcoCELLs at the Desert Research Institute) and a ¹³C natural tracer method. Total daily photosynthesis (GPP), net primary production (NPP), and respiration under the elevated CO₂ treatment were consistently higher than under the ambient CO₂ treatment. The overall level of enhancement due to elevated CO₂ was consistent with published results for a typical C3 plant species. The patterns of daily GPP and NPP through time approximated logistic curves under both CO₂ treatments. Regression analysis indicated that both the rate of increase (the parameter ‘r’) and the maximum value (the parameter ‘k’) of daily GPP and NPP under the elevated CO₂ treatment were significantly higher than under the ambient CO₂ treatment. The percentage increase in daily GPP due to elevated CO₂ varied systematically through time according to the logistic equations used for the two treatments. The GPP increase due to elevated CO₂ ranged from approximately 10% initially to 73% at the peak, while declining to about 33%, as predicted by the ratio of the two maximum values. Different values of percentage increase in GPP and NPP were obtained at different sampling times. This result demonstrated that one‐time measurements of percentage increases due to elevated CO₂ could be misleading, thereby making interpretation difficult. Although rhizosphere respiration was substantially enhanced by elevated CO₂, no effect of elevated CO₂ on R:P (respiration:photosynthesis) was found, suggesting an invariant NPP:GPP ratio during the entire experiment. Further validation of the notion of an invariant NPP:GPP ratio may significantly simplify the process of quantifying terrestrial carbon sequestration by directly relating total photosynthesis to net primary production.     

Sensitivity of Temperate Desert Steppe Carbon Exchange to Seasonal Droughts and Precipitation Variations in Inner Mongolia,China

Arid grassland ecosystems have significant interannual variation in carbon exchange; however, it is unclear how environmental factors influence carbon exchange in different hydrological years. In this study, the eddy covariance technique was used to investigate the seasonal and interannual variability of CO₂ flux over a temperate desert steppe in Inner Mongolia, China from 2008 to 2010. The amounts and times of precipitation varied significantly throughout the study period. The precipitation in 2009 (186.4 mm) was close to the long-term average (183.9±47.6 mm), while the precipitation in 2008 (136.3 mm) and 2010 (141.3 mm) was approximately a quarter below the long-term average. The temperate desert steppe showed carbon neutrality for atmospheric CO₂ throughout the study period, with a net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) of −7.2, −22.9, and 26.0 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ in 2008, 2009, and 2010, not significantly different from zero. The ecosystem gained more carbon in 2009 compared to other two relatively dry years, while there was significant difference in carbon uptake between 2008 and 2010, although both years recorded similar annual precipitation. The results suggest that summer precipitation is a key factor determining annual NEE. The apparent quantum yield and saturation value of NEE (NEE_sat) and the temperature sensitivity coefficient of ecosystem respiration (R_eco) exhibited significant variations. The values of NEE_sat were −2.6, −2.9, and −1.4 µmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ in 2008, 2009, and 2010, respectively. Drought suppressed both the gross primary production (GPP) and R_eco, and the drought sensitivity of GPP was greater than that of R_eco. The soil water content sensitivity of GPP was high during the dry year of 2008 with limited soil moisture availability. Our results suggest the carbon balance of this temperate desert steppe was not only sensitive to total annual precipitation, but also to its seasonal distribution.     

Carbon dynamics and budget in a Zoysia japonica grassland, central Japan

The ecosystem carbon budget was estimated in a Japanese Zoysia japonica grassland. The green biomass started to grow in May and peaked from mid-July to September. Seasonal variations in soil CO₂ flux and root respiration were mediated by changes in soil temperature. Annual soil CO₂ flux was 1,121.4 and 1,213.6 g C m⁻² and root respiration was 471.0 and 544.3 g C m⁻² in 2007 and 2008, respectively. The root respiration contribution to soil CO₂ flux ranged from 33% to 71%. During the growing season, net primary production (NPP) was 747.5 and 770.1 g C m⁻² in 2007 and 2008, respectively. The biomass removed by livestock grazing (GL) was 122.1 and 102.7 g C m⁻², and the livestock returned 28.2 and 25.6 g C m⁻² as fecal input (FI) in 2007 and 2008, respectively. The decomposition of FI (DL, the dry weight loss due to decomposition) was very low, 1.5 and 1.4 g C m⁻², in 2007 and 2008. Based on the values of annual NPP, soil CO₂ flux, root respiration, GL, FI, and DL, the estimated carbon budget of the grassland was 1.7 and 22.3 g C m⁻² in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Thus, the carbon budget of this Z. japonica grassland ecosystem remained in equilibrium with the atmosphere under current grazing conditions over the 2 years of the study.     

An estimation of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> fixation capacity in mangrove forest using two methods of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> gas exchange and growth curve analysis

In many coastal areas of South-East Asia, attempts have been made to revive coastal ecosystem by initiating projects that encourage planting of mangrove trees. Compared to the terrestrial trees, mangrove trees possess a higher carbon fixation capacity. It becomes a very significant option for clean development mechanism (CDM) program. However, a reliable method to estimate CO₂ fixation capacity of mangrove trees has not been established. Acknowledging the above fact, we decided to set up an estimation method for the CDM program, using gas exchange analysis to estimate mangrove productivity, we put into consideration the net CO₂ fixation of reforested Kandelia candel (5-, 10-, and 15-year-old stand). This was estimated by gas exchange analysis and growth curve analysis. In growth curve analysis, we drew a growth curve of a single stand using data of above- and below-ground biomass. In the gas exchange analysis, we calculated CO₂ fixation capacity by (1) measuring respiration rate of each organ of stand and calculating respiratory CO₂ emission from above- to below-ground biomass. (2) Measuring the single-leaf photosynthetic rate in response to light intensity and calculating the photosynthetic CO₂ absorption. (3) We also developed a model for the diurnal changes in temperature, and monthly averages based on one-day estimation of CO₂ absorption and emission, which we corrected by this model in order to estimate the net CO₂ fixation capacity in response to temperature. Comparing the biomass accumulation of the two methods constructed for the same forest, the above-ground biomass accumulation of 10-year-old forest (34.3 ton ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) estimated by gas exchange analysis was closely compared to those of growth curve analysis (26.6 ton ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), suggesting that the gas exchange analysis was capable of estimating mangrove productivity. The validity of the estimated CO₂ fixation capacity by the gas exchange analysis and the growth curve analysis was also discussed.     

Current Carbon Balance of the Forested Area in Sweden and its Sensitivity to Global Change as Simulated by Biome-BGC

Detailed information from the Swedish National Forest Inventory was used to simulate the carbon balance for Sweden by the process-based model Biome-BGC. A few shortcomings of the model were identified and solutions to those are proposed and also used in the simulations. The model was calibrated against CO₂ flux data from 3 forests in central Sweden and then applied to the whole country divided into 30 districts and 4 age classes. Gross primary production (GPP) ranged over districts and age classes from 0.20 to 1.71 kg C m⁻² y⁻¹ and net ecosystem production (NEP) ranged from −0.01 to 0.44. The 10- to 30-year age class was the strongest carbon sink because of its relatively low respiration rates. When the simulation results were scaled up to the whole country, GPP and NEP were 175 and 29 Mton C y⁻¹, respectively, for the 22.7 Mha of forests in Sweden. A climate change scenario was simulated by assuming a 4°C increase in temperature and a doubling of the CO₂ concentration; GPP and NEP then increased to 253 and 48 Mton C y⁻¹, respectively. A sensitivity analysis showed that at present CO₂ concentrations NEP would peak at an increase of 5°C for the mean annual temperature. At higher CO₂ levels NEP showed a logarithmic increase.     

Small-scale variation in ecosystem CO2 fluxes in an alpine meadow depends on plant biomass and species richness

Characterizing the spatial variation in the CO₂ flux at both large and small scales is essential for precise estimation of an ecosystem’s CO₂ sink strength. However, little is known about small-scale CO₂ flux variations in an ecosystem. We explored these variations in a Kobresia meadow ecosystem on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau in relation to spatial variability in species composition and biomass. We established 14 points and measured net ecosystem production (NEP), gross primary production (GPP), and ecosystem respiration (Re) in relation to vegetation biomass, species richness, and environmental variables at each point, using an automated chamber system during the 2005 growing season. Mean light-saturated NEP and GPP were 30.3 and 40.5 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ [coefficient of variation (CV), 42.7 and 29.4], respectively. Mean Re at 20°C soil temperature, Re₂₀, was −10.9 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ (CV, 27.3). Re₂₀ was positively correlated with vegetation biomass. GPP_max was positively correlated with species richness, but 2 of the 14 points were outliers. Vegetation biomass was the main determinant of spatial variation of Re, whereas species richness mainly affected that of GPP, probably reflecting the complexity of canopy structure and light partitioning in this small grassland patch.     

Six-year Stable Annual Uptake of Carbon Dioxide in Intensively Managed Humid Temperate Grassland

Variability and future alterations in regional and global climate patterns may exert a strong control on the carbon dioxide (CO₂) exchange of grassland ecosystems. We used 6 years of eddy-covariance measurements to evaluate the impacts of seasonal and inter-annual variations in environmental conditions on the net ecosystem CO₂ exchange (NEE), gross ecosystem production (GEP), and ecosystem respiration (ER) of an intensively managed grassland in the humid temperate climate of southern Ireland. In all the years of the study period, considerable uptake of atmospheric CO₂ occurred in this grassland with a narrow range in the annual NEE from −245 to −284 g C m⁻² y⁻¹, with the exception of 2008 in which the NEE reached −352 g C m⁻² y⁻¹. None of the measured environmental variables (air temperature (Ta), soil moisture, photosynthetically active radiation, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), precipitation (PPT), and so on) correlated with NEE on a seasonal or annual scale because of the equal responses from the component fluxes GEP and ER to variances in these variables. Pronounced reduction of summer PPT in two out of the six studied years correlated with decreases in both GEP and ER, but not with NEE. Thus, the stable annual NEE was primarily achieved through a strong coupling of ER and GEP on seasonal and annual scales. Limited inter-annual variations in Ta (±0.5°C) and generally sufficient soil moisture availability may have further favored a stable annual NEE. Monthly ecosystem carbon use efficiency (CUE; as the ratio of NEE:GEP) during the main growing season (April 1–September 30) was negatively correlated with temperature and VPD, but positively correlated with soil moisture, whereas the annual CUE correlated negatively with annual NEE. Thus, although drier and warmer summers may mildly reduce the uptake potential, the annual uptake of atmospheric CO₂, in this intensively managed grassland, may be expected to continue even under predicted future climatic changes in the humid temperate climate region.     

Contribution of root to soil respiration and carbon balance in disturbed and undisturbed grassland communities, northeast China

Changes in the composition of plant species induced by grassland degradation may alter soil respiration rates and decrease carbon sequestration; however, few studies in this area have been conducted. We used net primary productivity (NPP), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and soil organic carbon (SOC) to examine the changes in soil respiration and carbon balance in two Chinese temperate grassland communities dominated by Leymus chinensis (undisturbed community; Community 1) and Puccinellia tenuiflora (degraded community; Community 2), respectively. Soil respiration varied from 2.5 to 11.9 g CO₂ m⁻² d⁻¹ and from 1.5 to 9.3 g CO₂ m⁻² d⁻¹, and the contribution of root respiration to total soil respiration from 38% to 76% and from 25% to 72% in Communities 1 and 2, respectively. During the growing season (May–September), soil respiration, shoot biomass, live root biomass, MBC and SOC in Community 2 decreased by 28%, 39%, 45%, 55% and 29%, respectively, compared to those in Community 1. The considerably lower net ecosystem productivity in Community 2 than in Community 1 (104.56 vs. 224.73 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹) suggests that the degradation has significantly decreased carbon sequestration of the ecosystems.     

温性草原利用方式对生态系统碳交换及其组分的影响

为了解管理利用方式变化对原本以放牧利用为主的草地生态系统的碳交换及碳平衡将产生怎样的影响。在中国北方温性草原区域利用连接同化箱的便携式红外分析系统,在相互毗连的地块调查了3种典型草地管理利用方式植被生长旺季的生态系统碳交换及其精细组分。结果表明,相比放牧草地,开垦农用显著降低生态系统的日均碳交换(下降56%,P0.05),而长期围封也趋向降低生态系统的日均碳交换,但变化并不显著(P0.05)。与之近似,NPP在放牧与禁牧草地间差异不显著,开垦农用使NPP显著下降,但降幅小于NEP。GPP在3种管理利用方式间差异相对较小。生态系统总呼吸、自养、异养、地上和地下呼吸在放牧和禁牧草地间均无显著差异,均显著低于开垦后的麦田,根系呼吸在3种管理利用方式间无显著变化。相比草地放牧,草地开垦显著增加自养呼吸在总呼吸中的占比,而土壤呼吸和根系呼吸的占比均显著下降,禁牧对呼吸组成的影响不明显。不同管理利用方式草地的地下生物量能很好的解释土壤呼吸占比(95%)和根系呼吸占比(77%)的变化,而LAI则与自养呼吸占比显著正相关(P0.001)。草地开垦利用增强生态系统的碳释放、减少CO_2固定,相比开垦农用,禁牧对放牧草地碳交换及其组分的影响相对较小。     

Accelerated soil CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> efflux after conversion from secondary oak forest to pine plantation in southeastern China

Soil respiration (R _s) is an important component of the carbon cycle in terrestrial ecosystems, and changes in soil respiration with land cover alteration can have important implications for regional carbon balances. In southeastern China (Xiashu Experimental Forest, Jiangsu Province), we used an automated LI-8100 soil CO₂ flux system to quantify diurnal variation of soil respiration in a secondary oak forest and a pine plantation. We found that soil respiration in the pine plantation was significantly higher than that in the secondary oak forest. There were similar patterns of soil respiration throughout the day in both the secondary oak forest and the pine plantation during our 7-month study (March–September 2005). The maximum of R _s occurred between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm. The diurnal variations of R _s were usually out of phase with soil surface (0.5 cm) temperature (T _g). However, annual variation in R _s correlated with surface soil temperature. Soil respiration reached to a maximum in June, and decreased thereafter. The Q₁₀ of R _s in the secondary oak forest was significantly higher than that in the pine plantation. The higher Q₁₀ value in the secondary oak forest implied that it might release more CO₂ than the pine plantation under a global-warming scenario. Our results indicated that land-use change from secondary forest to plantation may cause a significant increase in CO₂ emission, and reduce the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration in southeastern China.     

Carbon balance in a monospecific stand of an annual herb <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chenopodium album</Emphasis> at an elevated CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> concentration

Elevated CO₂ enhances carbon uptake of a plant stand, but the magnitude of the increase varies among growth stages. We studied the relative contribution of structural and physiological factors to the CO₂ effect on the carbon balance during stand development. Stands of an annual herb Chenopodium album were established in open-top chambers at ambient and elevated CO₂ concentrations (370 and 700 μmol mol⁻¹). Plant biomass growth, canopy structural traits (leaf area, leaf nitrogen distribution, and light gradient in the canopy), and physiological characteristics (leaf photosynthesis and respiration of organs) were studied through the growing season. CO₂ exchange of the stand was estimated with a canopy photosynthesis model. Rates of light-saturated photosynthesis and dark respiration of leaves as related with nitrogen content per unit leaf area and time-dependent reduction in specific respiration rates of stems and roots were incorporated into the model. Daily canopy carbon balance, calculated as an integration of leaf photosynthesis minus stem and root respiration, well explained biomass growth determined by harvests (r ² = 0.98). The increase of canopy photosynthesis with elevated CO₂ was 80% at an early stage and decreased to 55% at flowering. Sensitivity analyses suggested that an alteration in leaf photosynthetic traits enhanced canopy photosynthesis by 40–60% throughout the experiment period, whereas altered canopy structure contributed to the increase at the early stage only. Thus, both physiological and structural factors are involved in the increase of carbon balance and growth rate of C. album stands at elevated CO₂. However, their contributions were not constant, but changed with stand development.     

Subsurface CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Dynamics in Temperate Beech and Spruce Forest Stands

Rates of soil respiration (CO₂ effluxes), subsurface pore gas CO₂/O₂ concentrations, soil temperature and soil water content were measured for 15 months in two temperate and contrasting Danish forest ecosystems: beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.). Soil CO₂ effluxes showed a distinct seasonal trend in the range of 0.48–3.3 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ for beech and 0.50–2.92 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ for spruce and were well-correlated with near-surface soil temperatures. The soil organic C-stock (upper 1 m including the O-horizon) was higher in the spruce stand (184±23 Mg C ha⁻¹) compared to the beech stand (93±19 Mg C ha⁻¹) and resulted in a faster turnover time as calculated by mass/flux in soil beneath the beech stand (28 years) compared to spruce stand (60 years). Observed soil CO₂ concentrations and effluxes were simulated using a Fickian diffusion-reaction model based on vertical CO₂ production rates and soil diffusivity. Temporal trends were simulated on the basis of observed trends in the distribution of soil water, temperature, and live roots as well as temperature and water content sensitivity functions. These functions were established based on controlled laboratory incubation experiments. The model was successfully validated against observed soil CO₂ effluxes and concentrations and revealed that temporal trends generally could be linked to variations in subsurface CO₂ production rates and diffusion over time and with depths. However, periods with exceptionally high CO₂ effluxes (> 20 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹) were noted in March 2000 in relation to drying after heavy rain and after the removal of snow from collars. Both cases were considered non-steady state and could not be simulated.     

Carbon dioxide exchange in a cool-temperate evergreen coniferous forest over complex topography in Japan during two years with contrasting climates

We investigated carbon dioxide (CO₂) exchange and its environmental response during two years with contrasting climate (2006 and 2007) in a cool-temperate mixed evergreen coniferous forest dominated by Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) and Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa). The study, which was conducted in a mountainous region of central Japan, used the eddy-covariance technique. Our results (crosschecked using the common u _* approach and van Gorsel’s alternative approach) showed that annual gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (RE) were at least 6% higher in the dry year than in the wet year, whereas net ecosystem exchange (NEE) was similar in both years. Without soil water stress, strong light stress or seasonality of plant area index during most of the study period, the forest had high metabolic activity. GPP and RE differed greatly between the two years, especially in spring (April–May) and summer (July–September), respectively. The spring GPP difference (>20%) was influenced by different winter air temperatures and snow melt timing, which controlled photosynthetic capacity in spring, and by different spring light intensities. The annual NEE differed depending on the evaluation method used, but the mean 2-year NEE estimated by the u _* threshold approach [−3.39 ± 0.11 (SD) MgC ha⁻¹ year⁻¹] appears more reasonable in comparison with results from other forests.     

Response of soil respiration to simulated N deposition in a disturbed and a rehabilitated tropical forest in southern China

Responses of soil respiration (CO₂ emission) to simulated N deposition were studied in a disturbed (reforested forest with previous understory and litter harvesting) and a rehabilitated (reforested forest with no understory and litter harvesting) tropical forest in southern China from October 2005 to September 2006. The objectives of the study were to test the following hypotheses: (1) soil respiration is higher in rehabilitated forest than in disturbed forest; (2) soil respiration in both rehabilitated and disturbed tropical forests is stimulated by N additions; and (3) soil respiration is more sensitive to N addition in disturbed forest than in rehabilitated forest due to relatively low soil nutrient status in the former, resulting from different previous human disturbance. Static chamber and gas chromatography techniques were employed to quantify the soil respiration, following different N treatments (Control, no N addition; Low-N, 5 g N m⁻² year⁻¹; Medium-N, 10 g N m⁻² year⁻¹), which had been applied continuously for 26 months before the respiration measurement. Results showed that soil respiration exhibited a strong seasonal pattern, with the highest rates observed in the hot and wet growing season (April–September) and the lowest rates in winter (December–February) in both rehabilitated and disturbed forests. Soil respiration rates exhibited significant positive exponential relationship with soil temperature and significant positive linear relationship with soil moisture. Soil respiration was also significantly higher in the rehabilitated forest than in the disturbed forest. Annual mean soil respiration rate in the rehabilitated forest was 20% lower in low-N plots (71 ± 4 mg CO₂-C m⁻² h⁻¹) and 10% lower in medium-N plots (80 ± 4 mg CO₂-C m⁻² h⁻¹) than in the control plots (89 ± 5 mg CO₂-C m⁻² h⁻¹), and the differences between the control and low-N or medium-N treatments were statistically significant. In disturbed forest, annual mean soil respiration rate was 5% lower in low-N plots (63 ± 3 mg CO₂-C m⁻² h⁻¹) and 8% lower in medium-N plots (61 ± 3 mg CO₂-C m⁻² h⁻¹) than in the control plots (66 ± 4 mg CO₂-C m⁻² h⁻¹), but the differences among treatments were not significant. The depressed effects of experimental N deposition occurred mostly in the hot and wet growing season. Our results suggest that response of soil respiration to elevated N deposition in the reforested tropical forests may vary depending on the status of human disturbance. Responsible Editor: Hans Lambers.     

Intrinsic changes in photosynthetic parameters of carrot leaves under increasing CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> concentrations and soil moisture regimes

A controlled growth chamber experiment was conducted to investigate the short-term water use and photosynthetic responses of 30-d-old carrot seedlings to the combined effects of CO₂ concentration (50–1 050 μmol mol⁻¹) and moisture deficits (−5, −30, −55, and −70 kPa). The photosynthetic response data was fitted to a non-rectangular hyperbola model. The estimated parameters were compared for effects of moisture deficit and elevated CO₂ concentration (EC). The carboxylation efficiency (α) increased in response to mild moisture stress (−30 kPa) under EC when compared to the unstressed control. However, moderate (−55 kPa) and extreme (−70 kPa) moisture deficits reduced α under EC. Maximum net photosynthetic rate (P _Nmax) did not differ between mild water deficit and unstressed controls under EC. Moderate and extreme moisture deficits reduced P _Nmax by nearly 85 % compared to controls. Dark respiration rate (R _D) showed no consistent response to moisture deficit. The CO₂ compensation concentration (Γ) was 324 μmol mol⁻¹ for −75 kPa and ranged 63–93 μmol mol⁻¹ for other moisture regimes. Interaction between moisture deficit and EC was noticed for P _N, ratio of intercellular and ambient CO₂ concentration (C _i/C _a), stomatal conductance (g _s ), and transpiration rate (E). P _N was maximum and C _i/C _a was minimum at −30 kPa moisture deficit and at C _a of 350 μmol mol⁻¹. The g _s and E showed an inverse relationship at all moisture deficit regimes and EC. Water use efficiency (WUE) increased with moisture deficit up to −55 kPa and declined thereafter. EC showed a positive influence towards sustaining P _N and increasing WUE only under mild moisture stress, and no beneficial effects of EC were noticed at moderate or extreme moisture deficits.     

CO2 exchange of the endolithic lichen Verrucaria baldensis from karst habitats in northern Italy

CO₂ exchange of the endolithic lichen Verrucaria baldensis was measured in the laboratory under different conditions of water content, temperature, light, and CO₂ concentration. The species had low CO₂ exchange rates (maximum net photosynthesis: c. 0.45 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹; maximum dark respiration: c. 0.3 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹) and a very low light compensation point (7 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ at 8°C). The net photosynthesis/respiration quotient reached a maximum at 9–15°C. Photosynthetic activity was affected only after very severe desiccation, when high resaturation respiratory rates were measured. Microclimatic data were recorded under different weather conditions in an abyss of the Trieste Karst (northeast Italy), where the species was particularly abundant. Low photosynthetically active radiation (normally below 40 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹), very high humidities (over 80%), and low, constant temperatures were measured. Thallus water contents sufficient for CO₂ assimilation were often measured in the absence of condensation phenomena. Received: 22 September 1996 / Accepted: 26 April 1997     

Soil O2 and CO2 effects on root respiration of cacti

Through use of a recently developed technique that can measure CO₂ exchange by individual attached roots, the influences of soil O₂ and CO₂ concentrations on root respiration were determined for two species of shallow-rooted cacti that typically occur in porous, well-drained soils. Although soil O₂ concentrations in the rooting zone in the field were indistinguishable from that in the ambient air (21% by volume), the CO₂ concentrations 10 cm below the soil surface averaged 540 μLL⁻¹ for the barrel cactusFerocactus acanthodes under dry conditions and 2400 μLL⁻¹ under wet conditions in a loamy sand. For the widely cultivated platyopuntiaOpuntia ficus-indica in a sandy clay loam, the CO₂ concentration at 10 cm averaged 1080 μLL⁻¹ under dry conditions and 4170 μLL⁻¹ under wet conditions. For both species, the respiration rate in the laboratory was zero at 0% O₂ and increased to its maximum value at 5% O₂ for rain roots (roots induced by watering) and 16% O₂ for established roots. Established roots ofO. ficus-indica were slightly more tolerant of elevated CO₂ than were those ofF. acanthodes, 5000 μLL⁻¹ inhibiting respiration by 35% and 46%, respectively. For both species, root respiration was reduced to zero at 20,000 μLL⁻¹ (2%) CO₂. In contrast to the reversible effects of 0% O₂, inhibition by 2% CO₂ was irreversible and led to the death of cortical cells in established roots in 6 h. Although the restriction of various cacti and other CAM plants to porous soils has generally been attributed to their requirement for high O₂ concentrations, the present results indicate that susceptibility of root respiration to elevated soil CO₂ concentrations may be more important.     

Ecosystem Respiration in a Cool Temperate Bog Depends on Peat Temperature But Not Water Table

Ecosystem respiration (ER) is an important but poorly understood part of the carbon (C) budget of peatlands and is controlled primarily by the thermal and hydrologic regimes. To establish the relative importance of these two controls for a large ombrotrophic bog near Ottawa, Canada, we analyzed ER from measurements of nighttime net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide (CO₂) determined by eddy covariance technique. Measurements were made from May to October over five years, 1998 to 2002. Ecosystem respiration ranged from less than 1 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ in spring (May) and fall (late October) to 2–4 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ during mid-summer (July-August). As anticipated, there was a strong relationship between ER and peat temperatures (r² = 0.62). Q₁₀ between 5° to 15°C varied from 2.2 to 4.2 depending upon the choice of depth where temperature was measured and location within a hummock or hollow. There was only a weak relationship between ER and water-table depth (r² = 0.11). A laboratory incubation of peat cores at different moisture contents showed that CO₂ production was reduced by drying in the surface samples, but there was little decrease in production due to drying from below a depth of 30 cm. We postulate that the weak correlation between ER and water table position in this peatland is primarily a function of the bog being relatively dry, with water table varying between 30 and 75 cm below the hummock tops. The dryness gives rise to a complex ER response to water table involving i) compensations between production of CO₂ in the upper and lower peat profile as the water table falls and ii) the importance of autotrophic respiration, which is relatively independent of water-table position.     

Seasonal changes in canopy photosynthesis and foliage respiration in a Rhizophora stylosa stand at the northern limit of its natural distribution

Gross photosynthesis and respiration rates of leaves at different canopy heights in a Rhizophora stylosa Griff. stand were measured monthly over 1 year at Manko Wetland, Okinawa Island, Japan, which is the northern limit of its distribution. The light-saturated net photosynthesis rate for the leaves at the top of the canopy showed a maximum value of 17 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ in warm season and a minimum value of 6 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ in cold season. The light-saturated gross photosynthesis and dark respiration rates of the leaves existing at the top of the canopy were 2−7 times and 3–16 times, respectively, those of leaves at the bottom of the canopy throughout the year. The light compensation point of leaves showed maximum and minimum peaks in warm season and cold season, respectively. The annual canopy gross photosynthesis, foliage respiration, and surplus production were estimated as 117, 49, and 68 t CO₂ ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, respectively. The energy efficiency of the annual canopy gross photosynthesis was 2.5%. The gross primary production GPP fell near the regression curve of GPP on the product of leaf area index and warmth index, the regression curve which was established for forests in the Western Pacific with humid climates.