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The effect of an elevated atmospheric CO 2 concentration on growth, photosynthesis and respiration of Plantago major
Author(s) -
Poorter Hendrik,
Pot Sander,
Lambers Hans
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3054.1988.tb05440.x
Subject(s) - photosynthesis , relative growth rate , respiration , shading , shoot , plantago , dry weight , carbon dioxide , horticulture , botany , biology , growth rate , respiration rate , nutrient , zoology , ecology , art , geometry , mathematics , visual arts
The effect of an elevated atmospheric CO 2 concentration on growth, photosynthesis and root respiration of Plantago major L. ssp. major L. was investigated. Plants were grown in a nutrient solution in growth chambers at 350 and 700 μl I −1 CO 2 during 7 weeks. The total dry weight of the Co 2 ‐enriched plants at the end of this period was 50% higher than that of control plants. However, the relative growth rate (RGR) was stimulated only during the first half of the growing period. The transient nature of the stimulation of the RGR was not likely to be due to end‐product inhibition of photosynthesis. It is suggested that in P. major , a rosette plant, self‐shading causes a decline in photosynthesis and results in an increase in the shoot: root ratio and a decrease in RGR. CO 2 ‐enriched plants grow faster and cosequently suffer more from self‐shading. Corrected for this ontogenetic drift, high CO 2 concentrations stimulated the RGR of P. major throughout the entire experiment.