The effect of elevated CO 2 on diel leaf growth cycle, leaf carbohydrate content and canopy growth performance of Populus deltoides

Abstract

Image sequence processing methods were applied to study the effect of elevated CO 2 on the diel leaf growth cycle for the first time in a dicot plant. Growing leaves of Populus deltoides , in stands maintained under ambient and elevated CO 2 for up to 4 years, showed a high degree of heterogeneity and pronounced diel variations of their relative growth rate (RGR) with maxima at dusk. At the beginning of the season, leaf growth did not differ between treatments. At the end of the season, final individual leaf area and total leaf biomass of the canopy was increased in elevated CO 2 . Increased final leaf area at elevated CO 2 was achieved via a prolonged phase of leaf expansion activity and not via larger leaf size upon emergence. The fraction of leaves growing at 30–40% day −1 was increased by a factor of two in the elevated CO 2 treatment. A transient minimum of leaf expansion developed during the late afternoon in leaves grown under elevated CO 2 as the growing season progressed. During this minimum, leaves grown under elevated CO 2 decreased their RGR to 50% of the ambient value. The transient growth minimum in the afternoon was correlated with a transient depletion of glucose (less than 50%) in the growing leaf in elevated CO 2 , suggesting diversion of glucose to starch or other carbohydrates, making this substrate temporarily unavailable for growth. Increased leaf growth was observed at the end of the night in elevated CO 2 . Net CO 2 exchange and starch concentration of growing leaves was higher in elevated CO 2 . The extent to which the transient reduction in diel leaf growth might dampen the overall growth response of these trees to elevated CO 2 is discussed.

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