Abstract
To investigate the effects of atmospheric CO2 enrichment on physiology and autumnal leaf phenology, we exposed 3-year-old sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) seedlings to 800 (A8), 600 (A6), and 400 μL(CO2) L–1 (AA) in nine continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) chambers during the growing season of 2014. Leaf abscission timing, abscised leaf area percentages, leaf number, light-saturated net photosynthetic rate (PNmax), leaf area, accumulative growth rates, and biomass were determined and assessed. The results suggested the following: (1) no significant differences were found in the timing of leaf abscission in the three CO2-concentration treatments; (2) PNmax was continuously stimulated to the greatest extent in A8 at 319% and 160% in A6 until the end of the growing season, respectively; and (3) leaf number, leaf area, and accumulative height growth all significantly increased by elevated CO2, which led to a 323% increase in A8 biomass and 235% in A6 biomass after 156-d fumigation. In summary, the results suggest, the timing of leaf abscission of sugar maple in fall was not modified by CO2 enrichment, the increased carbon gain by elevated CO2 was mainly due to increased leaf area, more leaves, and the continuously enhanced high photosynthesis throughout the growing season instead of the leaf life span.
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Abbreviations
- A4:
-
400 µL L–1 CO2
- A6:
-
600 µL L–1 CO2
- A8:
-
800 µL L–1 CO2
- CSTR:
-
continuous stirred tank reactor
- P Nmax :
-
leaf light-saturated net photosynthetic rate
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Acknowledgements: We sincerely thank Professor Michelle DaCosta for kindly loaning of the LI-Cor 6400 photosynthesis system; we are grateful to Professor Robert Wick and Professor Lu Fei for their help with language and suggestions in experimental measurements. I am deeply appreciated the scholarship from The China Scholarship Council for supporting my study in USA.
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Li, L., Manning, W.J. & Wang, X.K. Autumnal leaf abscission of sugar maple is not delayed by atmospheric CO2 enrichment. Photosynthetica 56, 1134–1139 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-018-0802-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-018-0802-z