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A CO2 Concentration Gradient Facility for Testing CO2 Enrichment and Soil Effects on Grassland Ecosystem Function

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Ecosystem assembly and terrestrial carbon balance under elevated CO(2).

Kate L Bradley¹, Kurt S Pregitzer

¹Ecosystem Science Center, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

|September 14, 2007

Summary

Understanding how elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) affects ecosystems requires considering individual plant species and genotypes. Their unique traits influence carbon cycling, biotic interactions, and ecosystem composition, impacting global carbon balance forecasts.

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Plant Biology
Biogeochemistry

Background:

Global carbon balance research often overlooks species-specific responses to elevated atmospheric CO2.
Plant traits significantly impact carbon cycling and ecosystem dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the importance of inter- and intraspecific trait variation in ecosystem responses to elevated CO2.
To emphasize the role of species and genotype identity in predicting future carbon balance.

Main Methods:

The study illustrates how varying responses of plant species and genotypes to elevated CO2 influence ecological processes.
Focuses on the impact on physiology, growth, biotic interactions, and fitness.

Main Results:

Differences in inter- and intraspecific responses to elevated CO2 alter ecosystem assemblages.
These changes affect not only individual plant performance but also community-level interactions and lifetime fitness.

Conclusions:

Ecosystem assemblages, defined by unique inter- and intraspecific traits, are key determinants of ecosystem response to elevated CO2.
Species and genotype identity are critical factors for accurate global carbon balance predictions.