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Re‐assessment of plant carbon dynamics at the Duke free‐air CO 2 enrichment site: interactions of atmospheric [CO 2 ] with nitrogen and water availability over stand development
Author(s) -
McCarthy Heather R.,
Oren Ram,
Johnsen Kurt H.,
GalletBudynek Anne,
Pritchard Seth G.,
Cook Charles W.,
LaDeau Shan L.,
Jackson Robert B.,
Finzi Adrien C.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.03078.x
Subject(s) - primary production , biomass (ecology) , environmental science , productivity , evapotranspiration , carbon fibers , nutrient , nitrogen , precipitation , atmospheric sciences , agronomy , ecology , biology , ecosystem , chemistry , mathematics , meteorology , geography , organic chemistry , algorithm , composite number , geology , economics , macroeconomics
Summary• The potential for elevated [CO 2 ]‐induced changes to plant carbon (C) storage, through modifications in plant production and allocation of C among plant pools, is an important source of uncertainty when predicting future forest function. Utilizing 10 yr of data from the Duke free‐air CO 2 enrichment site, we evaluated the dynamics and distribution of plant C. • Discrepancy between heights measured for this study and previously calculated heights required revision of earlier allometrically based biomass determinations, resulting in higher (up to 50%) estimates of standing biomass and net primary productivity than previous assessments. • Generally, elevated [CO 2 ] caused sustained increases in plant biomass production and in standing C, but did not affect the partitioning of C among plant biomass pools. Spatial variation in net primary productivity and its [CO 2 ]‐induced enhancement was controlled primarily by N availability, with the difference between precipitation and potential evapotranspiration explaining most interannual variability. Consequently, [CO 2 ]‐induced net primary productivity enhancement ranged from 22 to 30% in different plots and years. • Through quantifying the effects of nutrient and water availability on the forest productivity response to elevated [CO 2 ], we show that net primary productivity enhancement by elevated [CO 2 ] is not uniform, but rather highly dependent on the availability of other growth resources.