Potential effects of elevated carbon dioxide on leaf-feeding forest insects

The elevated concentration of atmospheric CO₂ may result in a decline of leaf nutritional quality (especially N) and an increase in some kinds of defensive secondary components (such as phenolics). The changes in the phytochemistry of trees, combined with the effect of elevated CO₂ per se, have a potential negative influence on insect herbivores. Here, we review the effect of elevated CO₂ on the performance of leaffeeding forest insects at individual-level and community-level. The elevated CO₂ per se have little influence on the metabolism of insects. Over half of the tree-insect experimental systems show that the performance of individual insect become poorer under high-CO₂ grown trees; but the others show that the insects have just little or no response to the treatments. The direction and magnitude of the changes in the performance of insects could be mediated by various factors. The effects of treatment are strongly species-dependent. The magnitude of changes in the phytochemistry, the sensitivity and adaptive capacity of insects to the poorer leaf quality, the differences in plant growth conditions and experimental methods, and the mediated effects of other environmental factors (such as soil nutrient availability, light, temperature, O₃) were all closely related to the final performance of insects. However, the larvae’s consumption usually increased under enriched CO₂ treatment, which was widely thought to be a compensatory response to poorer plant quality. The experiments on forest community-level found identically a reduction in herbivory, which was contrary to the results from small-scale experiments. The changes in insect population and the actual response of consumption by leaf-feeding forest insects under CO₂ enrichment remain unclear, and more field-based experiments need to be conducted. __________ Translated from Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2006, 17(4): 720–726 [译自: 应用生态学报]     

The carbon dioxide system in the Elbe estuary

The pCO₂ distribution in thesurface waters of the Elbe estuary and German Bight was investigated during high river discharge in April 1997. pCO₂ values of about 1100 atm foundin the upper part of the estuary are, comparedto other European rivers, only moderate. In theouter estuary, the enhanced river dischargecreates a pronounced river plume reflected in decreased surface salinity.However, pCO₂ in this area(250 atm) is below atmospheric values dueto primary production. Comparison with resultswe obtained during other measuringcampaigns shows that in the outer estuarysupersaturation of CO₂ with respect to theatmosphere occurs only in early spring duringthe time of highest river discharge. In latespring and summer, intensive primary productionwithin the surface layer leads to a pronouncedundersaturation (141 atm), despite atemperature increase of more than 20 °Cfrom winter to summer. Undersaturation isenforced by stable stratification of the watercolumn during the productive seasons thatdiminishes the entrainment of CO₂from below the thermocline into the surfacewater. In winter, CO₂ is close toequilibrium with the atmosphere and controlledby physical processes. Our data suggest thatthe Elbe estuary represents a sink foratmospheric CO₂ over the investigatedseasons and that carbon cycling in this areais dominated by biological processes.     

Efflux of carbon dioxide from snow-covered forest floors

The release of CO₂ from the snow surface in winter and the soil surface in summer was directly or indirectly measured in four cool-temperate deciduous broadleaved and evergreen needle forests. The closed chamber method (CC-method) and Fick's diffusion model (DM-method) were used for the direct and indirect measurements, respectively. The winter soil temperatures from the soil surface to 10 cm depth were between 0 and 2°C. The concentration of CO₂ within snowpack increased linearly with increasing snow depth. The average effluxes of CO₂ calculated from the gradients of CO₂ concentration in the snow using the DM-method ranged from 20 to 75 mg CO₂ m⁻² h⁻¹, while the CC-method showed the average effluxes of 20 to 50 mg CO₂m⁻²h⁻¹. These results reveal that the snow thermally insulates the soil, allowing CO₂ production to continue at soil temperatures a little above freezing throughout the winter. Carbon dioxide formed in the soil can move across snowpack up to the atmosphere. The winter/summer ratio of CO₂ emission was estimated to be higher than 7%. Therefore, the snow-covered soil served as a source of CO₂ in the winter and the effluxes represent an important part of the annual CO₂ budget in snowy regions.     

Effect of light and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration on nitrogen fixation by herbage legumes

Summary Lucerne, red clover and white clover were grown at two atmospheric concentrations of CO₂ (300 and 1000 μl l⁻¹) and the effects on N₂ fixation, nodule mass/number and root/shoot dry matter production determined. Pea plants were similarly evaluated as a comparison with grain legumes. CO₂ enrichment increased N₂ fixation activity in all cases but activity/unit nodule mass was significantly increased only in the pea. The enhancement of N₂ fixation in herbage legumes by CO₂ enrichment reflected an increase in nodule mass which in turn was attributed to increased nodule number, and results show that under the experimental conditions obtaining here photosynthate supply did not limit nodule N₂ fixation in these plants though it was limiting in the case of peas. White clover growing in a 6 and 14 hour photoperiod was studied for response of the N₂ fixing system to light. Long photoperiod (14 hour) plants assayed at constant temperature (20°C) did not show a significant response to light at the end of the dark period either in terms of fixation per plant or per unit nodule mass, in contrast with short photoperiod (6 hour) plants which showed significant responses. Short photoperiod plants compensated for reduced photosynthates by maintaining only half the root nodule mass and fixation activity of 14 hour photoperiod plants though plants in both systems supported similar rates of N₂ fixation per unit mass of nodule during the photoperiod. Comparison of N₂ fixation activities in whole and decapitated plant systems indicates the importance of shoot reserves for sustaining nitrogenase activity in white clover during short-term interruption of photosynthesis. These results support the conclusion of the CO₂ enrichment studies, that herbage legumes have the potential for supplying their nodule photosynthate requirements for sustaining optimum rates of N₂ fixation and excess carbon supply is used solely to promote further nodulation. Nodules of short photoperiod white clover plants were less efficient in N₂ fixation in that they evolved more H₂ relative to N₂ (C₂H₂) reduced than did long photoperiod plants.     

Regulation of photosynthetic CO2-pathway enzymes by light and other factors

The regulatory properties of enzymes of the pathway of CO₂ fixation are discussed in relation to changes in regulatory parameters with changing light, CO₂ and temperature.Paper presented at the FESPP meeting (Strasbourg 1984)     

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and the future of C4 crops for food and fuel

Crops with the C₄ photosynthetic pathway are vital to global food supply, particularly in the tropical regions where human well-being and agricultural productivity are most closely linked. While rising atmospheric [CO₂] is the driving force behind the greater temperatures and water stress, which threaten to reduce future crop yields, it also has the potential to directly benefit crop physiology. The nature of C₄ plant responses to elevated [CO₂] has been controversial. Recent evidence from free-air CO₂ enrichment (FACE) experiments suggests that elevated [CO₂] does not directly stimulate C₄ photosynthesis. Nonetheless, drought stress can be ameliorated at elevated [CO₂] as a result of lower stomatal conductance and greater intercellular [CO₂]. Therefore, unlike C₃ crops for which there is a direct enhancement of photosynthesis by elevated [CO₂], C₄ crops will only benefit from elevated [CO₂] in times and places of drought stress. Current projections of future crop yields have assumed that rising [CO₂] will directly enhance photosynthesis in all situations and, therefore, are likely to be overly optimistic. Additional experiments are needed to evaluate the extent to which amelioration of drought stress by elevated [CO₂] will improve C₄ crop yields for food and fuel over the range of C₄ crop growing conditions and genotypes.     

Oxygen and carbon dioxide exchanges in crassulacean-acid-metabolism-plants

The 24 h O₂ uptake and release together with the CO₂ balance have been measured in two CAM plants, one a non-succulent Sempervivum grandifolium, the other a succulent Prenia sladeniana. The O₂ uptake was estimated by the use of ¹⁸O₂. It was found that the mean hourly O₂ uptake in the light was 7 times that in the dark for Sempervivum and 5 times that for Prenia, after correction for the lightdark temperature difference. It was estimated that oxygen uptake in the light was 2.4 times greater than oxygen release (=net photosynthesis) in Sempervivum and 1.4 times greater in Prenia. In both plants there was a positive carbon balance over the 24 h period under the experimental conditions. It was estimated that malate formed during the night could, if completely oxidized to CO₂ and water, account for 74% of the light phase O₂ uptake in Sempervivum. In Prenia the O₂ uptake was more than sufficient to account for a full oxidation of malate.Abbreviations CAM Crassulacean acid metabolism - PAR photosynthetically active radiation - PEP phosphoenolpyruvate - RrBP ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate - TCA tricarboxylic acid cycle     

Atherosclerosis: the carbonic anhydrase, carbon dioxide, calcium concerted theory

Atherosclerosis is a dynamic multifaceted disease which affects the aorta and its major branches, characterized by the presence of lesions called atheromatous plaques. The plaque is a focal thickening of the intima caused by proliferation of smooth muscle cells, and the deposition of cholesterol, other lipids, hydroxyapatite and fibrous connective tissue. It is proposed that the determinant step of the process which leads to the disease atherosclerosis is the calcium precipitation which traps cholesterol in the plaque precursor matrix which contains lipoproteins, calcium carbonate, hydroxyapapatite, triglycerides, albumin, calmodulin and other proteins. The bear, a species which does not contract the disease is used as an example in support of the hypothesis. The bear's ability to regulate calcium levels and the regulation of acid base balance via regulation of carbon dioxide levels permits the control of the determinant step of plaque formation, that is calcification of the plaque.     

The phylogenetic composition and structure of soil microbial communities shifts in response to elevated carbon dioxide

One of the major factors associated with global change is the ever-increasing concentration of atmospheric CO₂. Although the stimulating effects of elevated CO₂ (eCO₂) on plant growth and primary productivity have been established, its impacts on the diversity and function of soil microbial communities are poorly understood. In this study, phylogenetic microarrays (PhyloChip) were used to comprehensively survey the richness, composition and structure of soil microbial communities in a grassland experiment subjected to two CO₂ conditions (ambient, 368 p.p.m., versus elevated, 560 p.p.m.) for 10 years. The richness based on the detected number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) significantly decreased under eCO₂. PhyloChip detected 2269 OTUs derived from 45 phyla (including two from Archaea), 55 classes, 99 orders, 164 families and 190 subfamilies. Also, the signal intensity of five phyla (Crenarchaeota, Chloroflexi, OP10, OP9/JS1, Verrucomicrobia) significantly decreased at eCO₂, and such significant effects of eCO₂ on microbial composition were also observed at the class or lower taxonomic levels for most abundant phyla, such as Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Acidobacteria, suggesting a shift in microbial community composition at eCO₂. Additionally, statistical analyses showed that the overall taxonomic structure of soil microbial communities was altered at eCO₂. Mantel tests indicated that such changes in species richness, composition and structure of soil microbial communities were closely correlated with soil and plant properties. This study provides insights into our understanding of shifts in the richness, composition and structure of soil microbial communities under eCO₂ and environmental factors shaping the microbial community structure.     

Distribution and air-water exchange of carbon dioxide in the Scheldt plume off the Belgian coast

In the present paper we report partial pressureof CO₂ (pCO₂) data obtained off theBelgian coast during 24 cruises. The temporaland spatial resolution of this data set allowsus to discuss satisfactorily seasonal andinter-annual variability of pCO₂ in thestudy area. The dynamics of pCO₂ aredescribed using two approaches: fixed referencestations and area survey cruises. The air-waterfluxes of CO₂ in the Scheldt estuarineplume and in the outer-plume region areestimated quantitatively, showing that theseareas correspond respectively to a net annualsource and sink of atmospheric CO₂. Theannually integrated air-water fluxes for theScheldt estuarine plume range between +1.1 and+1.9 mol m^–2 year^–1 as a function ofthe formulation of the exchange coefficient ofCO₂. The annual net emission of CO₂from the estuarine plume to the atmosphere isestimated to be between +2.3 to +4.0 Gmolyear^–1 which represents 17 to 29% of theestimate reported in the literature for the Scheldtinner estuary.     

A comparison of field methods for measuring soil carbon dioxide evolution: Experiments and simulation

Three widely used methods for measuring total soil CO₂ evolution are evaluated, including the dynamic CO₂ absorption method, the static CO₂ absorption method and the closed chamber method. The study covers laboratory experiments. numerical experiments with a simulation model and field measurements. The results are used to perform an error analysis. The aim of this error analysis is to indicate the impact of each method on the CO₂ dynamics during the measurement, and to select the most suitable method for frequent field usage.Laboratory experiments and simulation results show that the dynamic CO₂ absorption method has the potential to absorb all CO₂ evolving at the soil surface. The results also prove that the method has only a minor impact on the CO₂ concentration-depth gradient and the CO₂ efflux. The static CO₂ absorption method underestimates the soil CO₂ evolution, because the absorption velocity is too low, due to slow diffusion processes. Measurements with the closed-chamber method are based on an increasing concentration with time under a closed cover. However, the accumulation of gas alters the concentration gradient in the soil profile and thus causes a rapidly decreasing efflux during the measurement. A commonly used mathematical procedure, which corrects for the altered concentration gradient, does not yield the exact surface efflux, because the effect of increasing storage in the soil profile is not incorporated. Field measurements of CO₂ evolution, using the closed-chamber method and the dynamic CO₂ absorption method confirm the trends that have been predicted by the simulation model. The results of this study indicate that the dynamic CO₂ absorption method is accurate. As it is cheap and simple, it is suitable for the study of temporal and spatial dynamics of CO₂ evolution from the soil.     

Effect of carbon dioxide concentration on microbial respiration in soil

In order to assess the validity of conventional methods for measuring CO₂ flux from soil, the relationship between soil microbial respiration and ambient CO₂ concentration was studied using an open-flow infra-red gas analyser (IRGA) method. Andosol from an upland field in central Japan was used as a soil sample. Soil microbial respiration activity was depressed with the increase of CO₂ concentration in ventilated air from 0 to 1000 ppmv. At 1000 ppmv, the respiration rate was less than half of that at 0 ppmv. Thus, it is likely that soil respiration rate is overestimated by the alkali absorption method, because CO₂ concentration in the absorption chamber is much lower than the normal level. Metabolic responses to CO₂ concentration were different among groups of soil microorganisms. The bacteria actinomycetes group cultivated on agar medium showed a more sensitive response to the CO₂ concentration than the filamentous fungi group.     

Soil gas fluxes of N2O,CH4 and CO2 beneath Lolium perenne under elevated CO2: The Swiss free air carbon dioxide enrichment experiment

Fluxes of nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide were measured from soils under ambient (350 µL L^-1) and enhanced (600 µL L^-1) carbon dioxide partial pressures (pCO₂) at the Free Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) experiment, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH), Eschikon, Switzerland in July 1995, using a GC housed in a mobile laboratory. Measurements were made in plots of Lolium perenne maintained under high N input. During the data collection period N fertiliser was applied at a rate of 14 g m^-2 of N. Elevated pCO₂ appeared to result in an increased (27%) output of N₂O, thought to be the consequence of enhanced root-derived available soil C, acting as an energy source for denitrification. The climate, agricultural practices and soils at the FACE experiment combined to give rise to some of the largest N₂O emissions recorded for any terrestrial ecosystem. The amount of CO₂–C being lost from the control plot was higher (10%) than for the enhanced CO₂ plot, and is the reverse of that predicted. The control plot oxidised consistently more CH₄ than the enhanced plot, oxidising 25.5 ± 0.8 µg m^-2 hr^-1 of CH₄ for the control plot, with an average of 8.5 ± 0.4 µg m^-2 hr^-1 of CH₄ for the enhanced CO₂ plot. This suggests that elevated pCO₂ may lead to a feedback whereby less CH₄ is removed from the atmosphere. Despite the limited nature of the current study (in time and space), the observations made here on the interactions of elevated pCO₂ and soil trace gas release suggest that significant interactions are occurring. The feedbacks involved could have importance at the global scale.     

Soil respiration of Alaskan tundra at elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations

Summary CO₂ efflux from tussock tundra in Alaska that had been exposed to elevated CO₂ for 2.5 growing seasons was measured to assess the effect of long- and short-term CO₂ enrichment on soil respiration. Long-term treatments were: 348, 514, and 683 μll⁻¹ CO₂ and 680 μll⁻¹ CO₂+4°C above ambient. Measurements were made at 5 CO₂ concentrations between 87 and 680 μll⁻¹ CO₂. Neither long- or short-term CO₂ enrichment significantly affected soil CO₂ efflux. Tundra developed at elevated temperature and 680 μll⁻¹ CO₂ had slightly higher, but not statistically different, mean respiration rates compared to untreated tundra and to tundra under CO₂ control alone.     

Characterisation of carbon dioxide and bicarbonate transport during steady-state photosynthesis in the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus strain PCC7002

Net O₂ evolution, gross CO₂ uptake and net HCO _inf3 ^su– uptake during steady-state photosynthesis were investigated by a recently developed mass-spectrometric technique for disequilibrium flux analysis with cells of the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus PCC7002 grown at different CO₂ concentrations. Regardless of the CO₂ concentration during growth, all cells had the capacity to transport both CO₂ and HCO _inf3 ^su– ; however, the activity of HCO _inf3 ^su– transport was more than twofold higher than CO₂ transport even in cyanobacteria grown at high concentration of inorganic carbon (C_i = CO₂ + HCO _inf3 ^su– ). In low-C_i cells, the affinities of CO₂ and HCO _inf3 ^su– transport for their substrates were about 5 (CO₂ uptake) and 10 (HCO _inf3 ^su– uptake) times higher than in high-C_i cells, while air-grown cells formed an intermediate state. For the same cells, the intracellular accumulated C_i pool reached 18, 32 and 55 mM in high-C_i, air-grown and low-C_i cells, respectively, when measured at 1 mM external C_i. Photosynthetic O₂ evolution, maximal CO₂ and HCO _inf3 ^su– transport activities, and consequently their relative contribution to photosynthesis, were largely unaffected by the CO₂ provided during growth. When the cells were adapted to freshwater medium, results similar to those for artificial seawater were obtained for all CO₂ concentrations. Transport studies with high-C_i cells revealed that CO₂ and HCO _inf3 ^su– uptake were equally inhibited when CO₂ fixation was reduced by the addition of glycolaldehyde. In contrast, in low-C_i cells steady-state CO₂ transport was preferably reduced by the same inhibitor. The inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase ethoxyzolamide inhibited both CO₂ and HCO _inf3 ^su– uptake as well as O₂ evolution in both cell types. In high-C_i cells, the degree of inhibition was similar for HCO _inf3 ^su– transport and O₂ evolution with 50% inhibition occurring at around 1 mM ethoxyzolamide. However, the uptake of CO₂ was much more sensitive to the inhibitor than HCO _inf3 ^su– transport, with an apparent I₅₀ value of around 250 M ethoxyzolamide for CO₂ uptake. The implications of our results are discussed with respect to C_i utilisation in the marine Synechococcus strain.Abbreviations Chl chlorophyll - C_i inorganic carbon (CO₂ + HCO _inf3 ^su– ) - CA carbonic anhydrase - CCM CO₂-concentrating mechanism - EZA ethoxyzolamide - GA glycolaldehyde - K_1/2 concentration required for half-maximal response - Rubisco ribulose-1,5,-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase D.S. is a recipient of a research fellowship from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (D.F.G.). In addition, we are grateful to Donald A. Bryant, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Center of Biomolecular Structure Function, Pennsylvania State University, USA, for sending us the wild-type strain of Synechococcus PCC7002.     

Error caused by carbon dioxide in determination of ammonium by direct steam distillation of tropical wetland rice soils

Summary A study was made with eight Philippine wetland rice soils to quantify the possible error caused by the CO₂ evolved during direct distillation of soil suspensions in aerobic and anaerobic conditions with MgO. The error caused by CO₂ was eliminated by absorbing the ammonia distilled in H₂SO₄, which was gently boiled to derive off the CO₂ absorbed. The possible error caused by CO₂ was not eliminated when boric acid was used for absorbing ammonia. The difference in NH₄ ⁺ values determined by using sulfuric acid and boric acid methods gave an estimate of the error caused by CO₂. It was found that CO₂ evolved caused negative error in the NH₄ ⁺ values obtained using the direct distillation of soil suspensions with MgO in presence of KCl. The magnitude of error was higher and significant with anaerobic soil samples but this error was negligible with aerobic soils.     

Atmospheric carbon dioxide and fertilizer nitrogen effects on radiation interception by rice 1

In order to predict the potential impacts of global change, it is important to understand the impact of increasing global atmospheric [CO₂] on the growth and yield of crop plants. The objectives of this study were to determine the interaction of N fertilization rates and atmospheric [CO₂] on radiation interception and radiation-use efficiency of rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. IR72) grown under tropical field conditions. Rice plants were grown inside open top chambers in a lowland rice field at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines at ambient (about 350 μmol mol^-1) or elevated (about 600 μmol mol^-1 during the 1993 wet season and 700 μmol mol^-1 during the 1994 dry season) in combination with three levels of applied N (0, 50 or 100 kg N ha^-1 in the wet season; 0, 90 or 200 kg N ha-1 in the dry season). Light interception was not directly affected by [CO₂], but elevated [CO₂] indirectly increased light interception through increasing total absorbed N. Plant N requirement for radiation interception was similar for rice grown under ambient [CO₂] or elevated [CO₂] treatments. The conversion efficiency of intercepted radiation to dry matter, radiation-use efficiency (RUE), was about 35% greater at elevated [CO₂] than at ambient [CO₂]. The relationship between leaf N and RUE was curvilinear. At ambient [CO₂], RUE was fairly stable across levels of leaf N, but leaf N less than about 2.5% resulted in lower RUE for plants grown with elevated [CO₂] than for plant grown at ambient [CO₂]. Decreased leaf N with increased [CO₂], therefore decreased RUE of rice plants grown at elevated [CO₂]. When predicting responses of rice to elevated [CO₂], RUE should be adjusted with a decrease in leaf N. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Inhibition of the growth of two blue-green algae species (Microsystis aruginosa and Anabaena spiroides) by acidification treatments using carbon dioxide

The effect of pH adjusted by aeration with carbon dioxide (CO₂) on the growth of two species of blue-green algae, Microcystis aeruginosa and Anabaena spiroides, was investigated. Three conditions (pH 5.5, 6.0 and 6.5) were found to have significant inhibitory effects on the growth of the two algae species when acidification treatment was conducted during the logarithmic phase. Differences in the inhibition effect of acidification existed between the two species algae. The tolerance of M. aeruginosa to these conditions was also investigated. The results indicated that M. aeruginosa was inhibited significantly, but not dead at pH 6.5, whereas death occurred at pH 5.5 and 6.0. The greatest inhibitory effect of acidification treatment conducted during the stable breeding phase of M. aeruginosa occurred at pH 5.5, while no inhibitory effect was found at pH 6.5.