Offered Papers Theme B: Grassland and the Environment
Description
Differential growth enhancements for species or genotypes under elevated CO2 can lead to changes in the composition of plant communities. Under a Rich-get-richer hypothesis, species that constitute a large proportion of a community (the dominants) will increase their dominance at elevated CO2 (Bazzaz and Garbutt, 1988). Under the alternative Catch-up hypothesis the smaller components of communities will benefit proportionately more than dominants from elevated CO2 conditions (tested at the level of individual plants in a monoculture in Wayne and Bazzaz, 1997). A recent review (Poorter & Navas, 2003) provided no evidence for differential growth enhancements by dominant or subordinate species. We examine this question at the genotype level for genotypes of 12 grassland species.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Catch-Up in Response to Elevated CO2 - A Study of Genotypes of 12 Grassland Species
Differential growth enhancements for species or genotypes under elevated CO2 can lead to changes in the composition of plant communities. Under a Rich-get-richer hypothesis, species that constitute a large proportion of a community (the dominants) will increase their dominance at elevated CO2 (Bazzaz and Garbutt, 1988). Under the alternative Catch-up hypothesis the smaller components of communities will benefit proportionately more than dominants from elevated CO2 conditions (tested at the level of individual plants in a monoculture in Wayne and Bazzaz, 1997). A recent review (Poorter & Navas, 2003) provided no evidence for differential growth enhancements by dominant or subordinate species. We examine this question at the genotype level for genotypes of 12 grassland species.
