Offered Papers Theme B: Grassland and the Environment

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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.

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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.