Abstract
Trifolium repens and Lolium perenne were exposed as both monocultures and two-species mixtures to an episodic rural ozone regime in large, well-watered containers within solardomes for 12 weeks. There were reductions in biomass for T repens, but not L perenne, and the proportion of T repens decreased in ozone-exposed mixtures compared to the control. In addition, leaf biomass of T repens was maintained at the expense of biomass partitioning to the stolons. The decreased growth corresponded with decreased photosynthetic capacity for T repens, however, by the end of the exposure there was also decreased photosynthetic capacity of L perenne, a species previously considered insensitive to ozone. The observed decreases in photosynthetic efficiency and capacity in elevated ozone indicate that the ability of such ubiquitous vegetation to act as a sink for atmospheric carbon may be reduced in future climates. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 208-214 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Environmental Pollution |
| Volume | 157 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2009 |
Keywords
- Ozone
- Biomass partitioning
- Photosynthetic efficiency
- Climate change
- Plant competition
- EXPOSURE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
- PLANT PHOTOSYNTHESIS
- NET PHOTOSYNTHESIS
- CO2 ASSIMILATION
- GROWTH-RESPONSES
- MANAGED PASTURE
- ELEVATED OZONE
- CARBON-DIOXIDE
- CLOVER CLONES
- SURFACE OZONE