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Wood properties of P opulus and B etula in long‐term exposure to elevated CO 2 and O 3
Author(s) -
KOSTIAINEN KATRI,
SARANPÄÄ PEKKA,
LUNDQVIST SVENOLOF,
KUBISKE MARK E.,
VAPAAVUORI ELINA
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/pce.12261
Subject(s) - growing season , horticulture , betulaceae , botany , zoology , environmental science , chemistry , biology
We studied the interactive effects of elevated concentrations of CO 2 and O 3 on radial growth and wood properties of four trembling aspen ( P opulus tremuloides M ichx.) clones and paper birch ( B etula papyrifera M arsh.) saplings. The material for the study was collected from the A spen FACE (free‐air CO 2 enrichment) experiment in R hinelander ( WI , USA ). Trees had been exposed to four treatments [control, elevated CO 2 (560 ppm), elevated O 3 (1.5 times ambient) and combined CO 2 + O 3 ] during growing seasons 1998–2008. Most treatment responses were observed in the early phase of experiment. Our results show that the CO 2 ‐ and O 3 ‐exposed aspen trees displayed a differential balance between efficiency and safety of water transport. Under elevated CO 2 , radial growth was enhanced and the trees had fewer but hydraulically more efficient larger diameter vessels. In contrast, elevated O 3 decreased radial growth and the diameters of vessels and fibres. Clone‐specific decrease in wood density and cell wall thickness was observed under elevated CO 2 . In birch, the treatments had no major impacts on wood anatomy or wood density. Our study indicates that short‐term impact studies conducted with young seedlings may not give a realistic view of long‐term ecosystem responses.