Lower grass stomatal conductance under elevated CO2 can decrease transpiration and evapotranspiration rates despite carbon fertilization
Abstract Anthropogenic increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) affects plant physiology. Plant responses to elevated CO2 typically include: (1) enhanced photosynthesis and increased primary productivity due to carbon fertilization and (2) suppression of leaf transpiration due to CO2‐driven decrease in stom...
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| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Plant Direct |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.70013 |
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| author | Sate Ahmad Charilaos Yiotis Weimu Xu Jan Knappe Laurence Gill Jennifer McElwain |
| author_facet | Sate Ahmad Charilaos Yiotis Weimu Xu Jan Knappe Laurence Gill Jennifer McElwain |
| author_sort | Sate Ahmad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Anthropogenic increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) affects plant physiology. Plant responses to elevated CO2 typically include: (1) enhanced photosynthesis and increased primary productivity due to carbon fertilization and (2) suppression of leaf transpiration due to CO2‐driven decrease in stomatal conductance. The combined effect of these responses on the total plant transpiration and on evapotranspiration (ET) has a wide range of implications on local, regional, and global hydrological cycles, and thus needs to be better understood. Here, we investigated the net effect of CO2‐driven perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) physiological responses on transpiration and evapotranspiration by integrating physiological and hydrological (water budget) methods, under a controlled environment. Measurements of the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, leaf mass per area, aboveground biomass, and water balance components were recorded. Measured variables under elevated CO2 were compared with those of ambient CO2. As expected, our results show that elevated CO2 significantly decreases whole‐plant transpiration rates (38% lower in the final week) which is a result of lower stomatal conductance (57% lower in the final week) despite a slight increase in aboveground biomass. Additionally, there was an overall decline in evapotranspiration (ET) under elevated CO2, indicating the impact of CO2‐mediated suppression of transpiration on the overall water balance. Although studies with larger sample sizes are needed for more robust conclusions, our findings have significant implications for global environmental change. Reductions in ET from ryegrass‐dominated grasslands and pastures could increase soil moisture and groundwater recharge, potentially leading to increased surface runoff and flooding. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a625304e28c949bab66a38d684cc7e13 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2475-4455 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Plant Direct |
| spelling | doaj-art-a625304e28c949bab66a38d684cc7e132025-02-04T08:31:56ZengWileyPlant Direct2475-44552024-10-01810n/an/a10.1002/pld3.70013Lower grass stomatal conductance under elevated CO2 can decrease transpiration and evapotranspiration rates despite carbon fertilizationSate Ahmad0Charilaos Yiotis1Weimu Xu2Jan Knappe3Laurence Gill4Jennifer McElwain5Botany, School of Natural Sciences Trinity College Dublin Dublin 2 IrelandDepartment of Biological Applications and Technology University of Ioannina Ioannina GreeceSchool of Earth Sciences University College Dublin Dublin 4 IrelandConsiderate Group London United KingdomCivil Structural & Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering Trinity College Dublin Dublin 2 IrelandBotany, School of Natural Sciences Trinity College Dublin Dublin 2 IrelandAbstract Anthropogenic increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) affects plant physiology. Plant responses to elevated CO2 typically include: (1) enhanced photosynthesis and increased primary productivity due to carbon fertilization and (2) suppression of leaf transpiration due to CO2‐driven decrease in stomatal conductance. The combined effect of these responses on the total plant transpiration and on evapotranspiration (ET) has a wide range of implications on local, regional, and global hydrological cycles, and thus needs to be better understood. Here, we investigated the net effect of CO2‐driven perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) physiological responses on transpiration and evapotranspiration by integrating physiological and hydrological (water budget) methods, under a controlled environment. Measurements of the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, leaf mass per area, aboveground biomass, and water balance components were recorded. Measured variables under elevated CO2 were compared with those of ambient CO2. As expected, our results show that elevated CO2 significantly decreases whole‐plant transpiration rates (38% lower in the final week) which is a result of lower stomatal conductance (57% lower in the final week) despite a slight increase in aboveground biomass. Additionally, there was an overall decline in evapotranspiration (ET) under elevated CO2, indicating the impact of CO2‐mediated suppression of transpiration on the overall water balance. Although studies with larger sample sizes are needed for more robust conclusions, our findings have significant implications for global environmental change. Reductions in ET from ryegrass‐dominated grasslands and pastures could increase soil moisture and groundwater recharge, potentially leading to increased surface runoff and flooding.https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.70013biomassclimate changecontrolled chamber experimentselevated CO2evapotranspirationperennial ryegrass |
| spellingShingle | Sate Ahmad Charilaos Yiotis Weimu Xu Jan Knappe Laurence Gill Jennifer McElwain Lower grass stomatal conductance under elevated CO2 can decrease transpiration and evapotranspiration rates despite carbon fertilization Plant Direct biomass climate change controlled chamber experiments elevated CO2 evapotranspiration perennial ryegrass |
| title | Lower grass stomatal conductance under elevated CO2 can decrease transpiration and evapotranspiration rates despite carbon fertilization |
| title_full | Lower grass stomatal conductance under elevated CO2 can decrease transpiration and evapotranspiration rates despite carbon fertilization |
| title_fullStr | Lower grass stomatal conductance under elevated CO2 can decrease transpiration and evapotranspiration rates despite carbon fertilization |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lower grass stomatal conductance under elevated CO2 can decrease transpiration and evapotranspiration rates despite carbon fertilization |
| title_short | Lower grass stomatal conductance under elevated CO2 can decrease transpiration and evapotranspiration rates despite carbon fertilization |
| title_sort | lower grass stomatal conductance under elevated co2 can decrease transpiration and evapotranspiration rates despite carbon fertilization |
| topic | biomass climate change controlled chamber experiments elevated CO2 evapotranspiration perennial ryegrass |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.70013 |
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