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Genetic variation in germination, growth, and survivorship of red maple in response to subambient through elevated atmospheric CO 2
Author(s) -
Mohan Jacqueline E.,
Clark James S.,
Schlesinger William H.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
global change biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.146
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1365-2486
pISSN - 1354-1013
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2486.2004.00726.x
Subject(s) - biology , germination , seedling , biomass (ecology) , survivorship curve , population , productivity , genetic variation , vegetation (pathology) , ecosystem , ecology , botany , demography , medicine , biochemistry , macroeconomics , pathology , cancer , sociology , gene , economics , genetics
Genetic variation in plant response to atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) may have influenced paleo‐vegetation dynamics and could determine how future elevated CO 2 drives plant evolution and ecosystem productivity. We established how levels of relatedness – the maternal family, population, and provenance – affect variation in the CO 2 response of a species. This 2‐year growth chamber experiment focused on the germination, growth, biomass allocation, and survivorship responses of Acer rubrum to four concentrations of CO 2 : 180, 270, 360, and 600 μL L −1 – representing Pleistocene through potential future conditions. We found that all levels of relatedness interacted with CO 2 to contribute to variation in response. Germination responses to CO 2 varied among families and populations, growth responses depended on families and regions of origin, and survivorship responses to CO 2 were particularly affected by regional identities. Differences among geographic regions accounted for 23% of the variation in biomass response to CO 2 . If seeds produced under subambient CO 2 conditions behave similarly, our results suggest that A. rubrum may have experienced strong selection on seedling survivorship at Pleistocene CO 2 levels. Further, this species may evolve in response to globally rising CO 2 so as to increase productivity above that experimentally observed today. Species responses to future atmospheric CO 2 and the accompanying biotic effects on the global carbon cycle will vary among families, populations, and provenances.