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Is there a trade‐off between the plant's growth response to elevated CO 2 and subsequent litter decomposability?
Author(s) -
Hoorens Bart,
Aerts Rien,
Stroetenga Martin
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
oikos
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.672
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1600-0706
pISSN - 0030-1299
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0706.2003.12276.x
Subject(s) - litter , plant litter , respiration , biology , sphagnum , calluna , botany , zoology , horticulture , agronomy , ecosystem , ecology , peat , ericaceae
Under elevated levels of atmospheric CO 2 , leaf N concentration usually decreases due to dilution of N by excess carbon. Thus, the larger the growth response to elevated CO 2 , the larger the decrease in leaf N concentration should be. This should, in turn, lead to a proportional decline in litter N concentration and litter decomposition rate. Thus, we hypothesize a trade‐off between a plant's growth response to elevated CO 2 and subsequent litter decomposability. We tested this hypothesis by measuring the growth response, green leaf and leaf litter chemistry and litter respiration of six plant species grown under ambient and elevated atmospheric CO 2 concentrations in the greenhouse. Growth response increased in the order Calluna vulgaris